The Re-Greening of Iraq: How Government-Contractor Collaboration Helped Restore Critical Wetlands

The Iraq Marshlands Restoration Program (IMRP) is an example of what U.S. government engagement can achieve, even in the most demanding of circumstances, when backed by appropriate contractor expertise and committed host-country institutions.

The marshlands of southern Iraq were once a major flyway for billions of birds, a source of fish and dairy products for much of Iraq, and a natural filter for the waters of the Persian Gulf. But the wetlands were heavily drained as retaliation for their inhabitants' uprising against Saddam Hussein following the Gulf War. When Allied forces entered Iraq in 2003, the marshes were only 7 percent of their original size and the area's population had dwindled from 500,000 to 125,000.

In 2003, the international development firm DAI began work on the USAID-funded project, which aimed to tackle the environmental and developmental challenges facing the marshes and their people.

High-Flying, High-Tech Fire-Fighting Machines Save Forests, Lives and Money

In May 2007, America's wild fire season in Florida was off to an early and destructive start. And Firewatch, the U.S. Forest Service's practical and highly successful fire-fighting technology, was on the front lines helping to limit damage and save lives.

Firewatch uses rehabilitated Army helicopters equipped with cutting-edge technology to fight wildfires. Firewatch has saved numerous lives and prevented millions of dollars in damage—making it one of the federal government's most successful and cost effective programs. This high-tech Department of Agriculture program relies on helicopters that are specially equipped to provide aerial support to local, state, and federal firefighters. Each helicopter is configured with electro-optical sensors that see through smoke and haze, infrared detectors to expose the smallest hotspots, and data links that relay real-time video and topographical maps to firefighters on the ground and in command and control centers.

DynCorp International supports the Firewatch program by providing pilots and global mapping technicians, and maintaining and fueling the helicopters. U.S. Forestry Service Air Tactical Officer Stan Kubota, who works closely with the Firewatch crew, points out: "It allows us to maneuver troops into place and get ahead of the fire and be in place to stop it." The combination of technologies used by the Firewatch program allows crews to "see hotspots the size of a quarter from 8,000 feet in the air," says John Browning, who works for DynCorp as the Firewatch program director.