Destruction of an Oasis

The Hamouns were once a wetland oasis on the Iran-Afghanistan border and consisting of three lakes: Hamoun-e Hirmand, which is entirely in Iran; Hamoun-e Sabari on the border; and Hamoun-e Puzak, almost entirely inside Afghanistan. The three lakes were linked and fed by water mainly from Afghanistan’s Helmand River. This area is a poor border region where dwindling water resources have left the area struggling for survival and beset by drug smugglers.

Twenty years ago, most of the area was green with a wide variety plants and animals living in the wetlands and lake area. The area was an oasis and way station for flamingos and other migratory birds, and a home for otter, deer and leopards. The delta would expand and contract seasonally. The lake teemed with fish and it was reported that the annual catch used to exceed 12,000 tons. The Hamouns once covered 500,000 hectares of land. Based on satellite images taken in spring 2005, 2009 and 2013, the Hamouns have all but disappeared.

From UNDP from Left Hamouns in 2005, 2009 and 2013

Now 70% of the southeastern Hamouns in Sistan-Baluchestan Province are drying up. Iran attributes this to Afghanistan's construction of dams on its tributaries. However, that was decades ago. The Kajaki Dam was built on the Helmand river in the mid 20th century upstream of Kandahar. The flow of the Helmand to the Hamouns was reduced but the oasis held until after Afghanistan dug irrigation canals in the 1990’s. Afgan officials place the blame on Iran’s water management and water diversions from the Helmand to supply four reservoirs built in the 1990’s and 2000’s to supply Zahedan and other towns.

According to the United Nations Development Program that has tried to intermediate between Afgan and Iran, the truth is a combination of factors. more water abstraction from rivers and water resources;

• Mismanagement of water resources in the basin; 
• Expansion of agricultural lands and irrigation;
• Reduced precipitation in the region apparently because of long-term climate change; 
• Using traditional irrigation systems and low water efficiency; 
• Using inappropriate cropping pattern; 
• Water control in Afghanistan; 
• Introduction of non-native species of aquatic plants; 
• Over exploitation of pastures. 

The wetlands have faced intense pressure during the last decade and are currently in a state of ecological crisis. Because the wetland is mostly dried out during the year, dust and sandstorms have increased as fierce winds blow for half the year. The sandstorms carry the highest level fine particulates, so called PM2.5. According to the World Health Organization nearby towns had the highest mean concentration of PM2.5 of any city on earth exceeding New Delhi and Beijing. This has resulted in an increase in various diseases such as heart, respiratory, optic and cancer. Out migration and changing living patterns away from agriculture and increasing drug smuggling and drug addiction are have impacted both sides of the Iran/ Afgan border. Now communities are dependent on water from other areas, and there are increasing local conflicts for water.

The United Nations Development Program is trying to negotiate and implement a restoration plan with Afgan and Iran. Negotiating the details and funding are of course the problems. We live on a planet with limited water resources and changing climate while our water needs continue to grow.