Jazmourian; A Swamp That Became a Desert

On Thursday, December 30, the Mehr News Agency reported that the Jazmourian swamp in southern Kerman has turned into a barren desert due to absolute drought. The report emphasized that the bed of the Jazmourian swamp has completely dried up and has become a desert where nomadic camels graze. According to Mehr, the area of this swamp, which spans 35,390 square kilometers, has not a single square meter of water. This situation is a result of unprecedented drought in Kerman and Sistan and Baluchestan provinces, which, according to the news agency, have seen their watersheds in no better condition. The drying up of Jazmourian continues the trend of the destruction of wetlands and natural resources in Iran. In this context, an environmental official in Isfahan reported on June 7 of this year that the Gavekhoun wetland has dried up '100 percent.' The deputy of natural environment and biodiversity at the Isfahan Department of Environment stated that only two or three percent of the northern part of the wetland remains slightly moist. Approximately 152 wetlands have been identified in Iran, which 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 Etemad newspaper also reported in August of this year that observers believe five wetland sites in Iran are on the brink of extinction, with some, like the Hamoun, Gavekhoun, and Jazmourian wetlands, experiencing their worst conditions in decades. This situation, with Iranian wetlands on the verge of destruction, occurs while, according to the classification of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 36 wetlands in Iran are listed as important global wetlands under 25 titles. The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the protection of wetlands and the animals and plants dependent on them, adopted in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, with its headquarters in Gland, Switzerland. 99 percent of the Gavekhoun wetland in Isfahan has dried up; discussions with environmental researcher Azam Bahrami indicate that the wetlands of Fars province are heading towards gradual death. The environmental crises in Iran continue; the Hoor al-Azim wetland is in a coma. The death of wetlands in Iran continues; the Hoshilan wetland is on the verge of complete dryness. Experts warn that the Anzali wetland is likely to dry up in the next five years.