Iran's Wetlands at Risk of Complete Drought; Water Rights Not Granted

The Deputy of Marine Environment and Wetlands at the Department of Environment states that the Gavkhouni Wetland is '99% dry.' Mojtaba Zoloudi told ILNA news agency that 'no water flow has been released as a water right towards the Gavkhouni Wetland.' The Deputy of Environment said: 'From the beginning of Mehr 1401 (September 2022) to July 27, 1402 (July 2023), despite very good rainfall in the upstream areas and an 88% increase in the reservoir of the Zayandeh Rud dam, almost no specific water rights have been released for the Gavkhouni Wetland.' The water right for the Gavkhouni Wetland is 176 million cubic meters of water per year. This environmental official stated that in the current water year, apart from two short-term and temporary releases from the Roudashtin dam from February 19 to March 8, 1401 (February to March 2023), which resulted in a total of 8 million cubic meters of water reaching the Gavkhouni Wetland, no water rights have been released towards the wetland. Previously, the Deputy of Natural Environment and Biodiversity of the Isfahan Department of Environment also announced that only 2 or 3 percent of the northern part of the wetland is slightly moist, and the water release that occurred last February was 'ineffective.' Hossein Akbari stated that for the past 23 years, the Gavkhouni Wetland has been deprived of its environmental water rights. Isfahan is among the top five dust-prone provinces in Iran, and environmental officials consider the drying of the Gavkhouni Wetland as one of the main reasons for this issue, stating it has turned into a 'dust center.' The Gavkhouni Wetland in Isfahan has been a habitat for migratory birds and aquatic animals and a source of income and employment for residents. Akbari mentioned that in the past 23 years, the Gavkhouni Wetland has been deprived of its environmental water rights. In Iran, about 152 wetlands have been identified. Wetlands are vital for biodiversity. Environmental experts say the ecological value of wetlands is ten times that of forests and 200 times that of agricultural land. The Gavkhouni Wetland is among those registered in the Ramsar Convention, the oldest modern environmental agreement regarding the protection of wetlands worldwide, signed in February 1971 in Ramsar by member countries. The parties to this treaty are obligated to identify their important wetlands and prepare their corrective maps in a way that facilitates their proper protection and utilization. The drought problem is not only affecting the Gavkhouni Wetland. The Deputy of Natural Environment of the Khuzestan Department of Environment has also warned about the drying of the Hoor al-Azim Wetland. Adel Mola told ISNA news agency that for several years, the water rights of Hoor al-Azim have not been granted 'except during floods' or have been much less than the amount specified for the wetland. He stated that currently, the Hoor al-Azim Wetland has about 40% water, but considering the hot weather and high evaporation rates, 'as we move forward, the amount of water in the wetland decreases.' This environmental official from Khuzestan stated that the Ministry of Energy's claim that 1.7 cubic meters of water entered the wetland through releases last month is not accurate. He added that in the first three months of this year, only 0.4% of the water rights of the Hoor al-Azim Wetland reached the wetland, while at least 20 to 30% of the water rights should have entered the wetland. In February, the head of the Department of Environment announced that the Hoor al-Azim Wetland is set to be registered in the Ramsar Convention to facilitate its protection. Environmental disaster in the Arjan Plain; widespread tree cutting and destruction of wildlife in the area. Dust storm in Sistan and Baluchestan; over 500 individuals sent to medical centers. The Gavkhouni Wetland in Isfahan is '100% dry.' Five wetlands on the brink of extinction have placed Iran at the top of the Ramsar Convention list. Half a century of demanding 'water rights'; protests by Sistani people on the dried bed of Hamoun.