Once the largest city in the world, the ancient northern Iraqi site of Nineveh could become a rubbish dump unless a restoration plan is developed. Islamic State vandalism and construction projects inflicted significant damage on the site – all shown on a new topographic map informed by satellite and drone data.
In modern times Nineveh was a communal space where its extraordinary history could be appreciated and celebrated. Now that Iraqi government control has been re-established, there is an opportunity to prevent Nineveh's transformation into a polluted landfill site and halt its absorption into the expanding city of Mosul.
Soon after the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) occupied northern Iraq, an Iraqi-Italian team began recording, evaluating and monitoring the devastation ISIS inflicted using satellite-based remote sensing. The team found that a much larger area, covering tens of hectares, had been destroyed by ISIS construction work and rubbish dumping.
