Satellite images show Iraq’s southern Huwaizah Marshes on December 16, 2024 (top), and May 1, 2025 (bottom), revealing tracks from heavy vehicles. According to Dutch peace group PAX, the photos indicate rapid construction of a 1.3-kilometre dirt road through the marsh vegetation. The development has alarmed locals and activists fighting to protect the fragile, UNESCO-listed wetlands. (© 2025 PLANET LABS PBC / AFP)
