Final answer:
The Ubaidians were the first to use early forms of irrigation in southern Mesopotamia, leading to the rise of the Sumerian civilization and the city of Uruk, which featured intensive irrigation agriculture.
Step-by-step explanation:
The archaeological culture group that was the first to use early forms of irrigation over 8,000 years ago, spurred by their relocation to more arid land is the Ubaidians. These people were instrumental in establishing the foundation of the Sumerian civilization by draining marshes for agriculture in southern Mesopotamia, which modern-day Iraq encompasses.
The development of irrigation by the Ubaidians led to more stable communities, eventually giving rise to the city of Uruk, a major urban center with extensive irrigation agriculture and subsequently leading to the creation of irrigation canals that were critical to the city and its hinterlands.