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Middle East's Lost Grasslands: A Tale of Greed & Deserts
8 Mar
Summary
- Middle East once boasted vast grasslands supporting nomadic pastoralists until the 1960s.
- Modern development, oil extraction, and state policies led to grassland conversion.
- War and resource depletion are accelerating desertification across the region.
Until the 1960s, vast grasslands stretched across the Middle East, supporting nomadic pastoralists. This ecological past is often overlooked, with many associating only deserts with the region. These grasslands, from Turkey to Algeria, featured diverse landscapes including pastures, mountains, and major river systems like the Tigris and Euphrates.
The transformation began with modern developmental policies that converted these lands into agricultural farms, large dams, and mining areas. Following the discovery of oil in the late 19th century, extraction of fossil fuels further altered these environments. Governments also sought to resettle nomadic pastoralists, viewing their mobility as a challenge to control and taxation.
