By Mahdi al-Saadi in Maysan

Every rainy season in Iraq, a man nicknamed “conqueror of the desert” by locals can be seen throwing small clay balls around the remote eastern districts of Maysan province in southern Iraq. It may sound odd but in fact, there is a distinctive environmental reason behind the scenes.

Each of the clay balls consists of seeds of native plants mixed with clay and organic fertilizer. They are made by local man, Ali Jabbar al-Suwaity, who explains that, “The tree seeds are placed in a mixture of clay and organic material, then shaped into small balls that protect them until the growing season begins. They are scattered in low-lying areas where rain gathers, creating favorable conditions for growth.”

The seed ball or seed bomb technique has been used elsewhere in the world as well. It is a natural, low-cost reforestation method that encases native tree seeds in a protective mixture of clay, compost and soil . The dried balls protect seeds from harsh weather, birds, and insects until the rainy season breaks them down, allowing the seeds to germinate naturally.

The technique has been used successfully in Kenya in 2016, as part of reforestation efforts by the Mara Elephant Project.

Al-Suwaity says he is motivated by a desire to create a better habitat for local wildlife and to support biodiversity in an increasingly harsh environment.

Al-Suwaity focuses on desert and areas where vegetation has declined because of drought or logging, both of which have caused significant tree loss in Maysan. He began his seed bomb project in 2023 after noticing a drop in native species. Iraq is highly vulnerable to desertification as rising temperatures, declining rainfall and weak water management put growing pressure on ecosystems.

Al-Suwaity mostly works in the east of the province, where forests have often been cut to make way for sand and gravel extraction. Tree cover in some places has fallen to about 10%. Because the area also has seasonal flooding, it is well suited for seed bombing, the environmental activist says.

According to al-Suwaity, germination has been as high as 60% in some trials and averaged about 40% overall, results he considers good given harsh conditions and limited rainfall. In dryland reforestation, early-stage germination above 30% is generally considered a success.

Seed selection and distribution are conducted carefully, drawing on knowledge of local ecosystems. The seed balls are usually dispersed in winter so the seeds can benefit from spring rains.

He has also expanded the experiment beyond Maysan, testing the method in Najaf’s historic Wadi al-Salam cemetery in 2025. He says other groups are now developing the idea further, including the use of drones to distribute seed balls over wider areas such as plains, valleys and mountains.

Al-Suwaity’s initiative has drawn interest from other environmental activists in Maysan, who have offered encouragement and support. One of them, Murtadha al-Janoubi, told Al Menassa that al-Suwaity not only spreads seed balls in flood-prone areas but also monitors the results, which could eventually inform Iraq’s fight against desertification.

For the time being though, the effort remains largely an individual one. Al-Janoubi says more support is needed to expand the project

Al-Suwaity’s efforts are self-driven, he gets no institutional backing, and has gained visibility through social media.

Another local environmentalist Ahmed al-Saadi says that al-Suwaity has made an important contribution to reforestation, “especially in remote low-lying zones that shield seeds from birds and allow them to remain inactive until rainfall arrives.” He also called for greater support for al-Suwaiti’s seed bombs, including allocating land for a dedicated nursery to prepare the seedlings and plants.