An examination of the ecological degradation of the marshlands from a migration perspective reveals an unsettling narrative. Through spatial mapping and analysis of the Marshes in Basra, Iraq, it becomes apparent that the United Nations employed the term 'Environmental Refugees' as a tool to justify international intervention, disguised as restoration efforts, in order to gain access to the oil fields located within the marshlands.

The detrimental consequences of this exploitation manifest in various forms, whether it be the toxic proliferation caused by bombs, bullets, tanks, or gas flares within the oil fields, the depletion of both human and non-human populations, or the subsequent waves of migration. These distressing phenomena can be seen as symptoms of a toxic form of colonialism. The delicate ecosystem of wetland systems in Iraq has been rendered vulnerable to exploitation for military, political, and economic gains. This exploitation is facilitated through activities such as agricultural irrigation, oil exploration within the country, and hydro-infrastructural operations in neighboring nations.

Over the years, this detrimental process of modernization has marginalized an estimated 500,000 Ahwari people, effectively eradicating the way of life they had relied upon. Starting from the 1950s, their cultural practices and livelihoods have been systematically dismantled. In the 1990s, the international community engaged in environmental diplomacy concerning this ecosystem. It was during this period that the United Nations labeled the Marsh Arabs as "Environmental Refugees," a classification that predates the ongoing debates surrounding the legal application of this term.