Sabah Thamer al-Baher carries reeds at the Chebayesh marsh, Dhi Qar province, Iraq, July 6, 2021. Iraq's 2020-2021 rainfall season was the second driest in 40 years, according to the United Nations, causing the salinity of the wetlands to rise to dangerous levels. Animals fell sick and died, and Baher was forced to buy fresh drinking water for his own herd of around 20 buffaloes, his only source of income. Another drought is predicted for 2023 as climate change, pollution and upstream damming keep Iraq trapped in a cycle of recurring water crises. "The marshes are our life. If droughts persist, we will stop to exist, because our whole life depends on water and raising water buffaloes," said Baher. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani SEARCH "MARSHES AL-SUDANI" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES