What humanity stands to lose

From its source, where ancient Mesopotamians and Assyrian kings had their images carved into stone, explorer Leon McCarron journeys down the Tigris River through the Turkish mountains, across north-east Syria and into the heart of Iraq.

He passes through historic cities like Diyarbakir, Mosul, and Baghdad and meets fishermen and farmers, along with artists, activists, and archaeologists, who rely on the flow of the river. Occasionally harassed by militias, often helped by soldiers, McCarron rode his luck in areas still troubled by ISIS and relied on the generosity of strangers as he follows the river to the Persian Gulf.

Here is what humanity stands to lose with the Tigris’ death, and what can be done to try to save it.

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