Dams have been useful to many countries in the Middle East that depend on outside water sources, such as rivers, to survive. Dams provide extra water for farming and electricity in the countries where they are built. The people of Turkey have received these benefits from the Ataturk Dam. However, this dam has caused problems for other countries. Iraq and Syria, which are located downriver from the dam, are receiving a smaller supply of water, affecting their access to farming and drinking water. The multiple dams built in Iraq during Hussein's regime highlight other issues. These dams drained the region's largest marshlands, causing t