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Hoor-al-azim Wetland, Full of Wastewater – New Policies Against Ahwazis

Industrial wastewater is entering the wetland in Shadegan and that is concerning Shadegan people.

Many of Aquatic are rare and indigenous fish. They are extinct due to salinity.

Unfortunately, the oil company extended to Azadegan, and is the main factor of why Hoor-al-azim wetland is also drying up. The situation is a disastrous already but If Shadegan and Hoor-al-azim wetland dry up completely, Shadegan will be in a chaos situation.

The Ministry of Energy also prevented the registration of the Hoor-al-azim wetland in the Ramsar Convention. If this happens, the Ministry of Energy will have to allocate it to it.

The wastewater is transported to Hoor-al-azim wetland containing heavy and chemical metals. In any country, the wetland is not drained by waste or sewage.

Contrary to provincial and state officials’ claims, only wastewater and sewage industries has been entering Hoor-al-azim wetland and that is just a new political game by the Iranian regime, rather than environmental.

Perhaps it is a bit hard to imagine; but Iran, once was the founder of the first wetland/wetland conservation convention in the world, the Ramsar Convention, is now seizing the withdrawal of its wetlands from the list of the convention. The story began with Gavkhooni, Jazmourian, and Parishan wetland, and continued with the of Bakhtegan, Hamoon, the destruction of Horealazim, Anzali wetland, Saberi, Hirmand, Yadgarlou and dozens of other wetlands dried out. This time is Shadegan turn to dry out; the wetland that is breathing its last breath.

Shadegan’s last breath

The construction of eight dams in the watershed of Shadegan wetland has led it to a droop.

The volume of fresh water entering Shadegan has reduced dramatically due to lower rainfall, droughts and water storage behind the Mooren dam. Reduction of fresh water has caused a change in the ecosystem of the wetland. The salty and semi-salty waters of Shadegan, which were provided by the tidal waters of the sea, have fallen sharply.

Reduction of water entering Shadegan isn’t the only story, industrial wastewater is entering the wetland in Shadegan and that is concerning Shadegan people.

Political dewatering, not environmental

Dewatering from Hoor-al-azim wetland and restoring Lake Urmia were one of Rouhani’s biggest propaganda maneuvers during the election.

Nasser Abbayat, an environmental activist in Khuzestan, said that “only agricultural and sewage sludge has been revenged in spite of provincial and state officials’ claims, and this is merely political, rather than environmental,”.

Wetlands that were drained by sewage!

He with emphasis on drinking water from cannabis, continues: “The wastewater is transferred to Horealazim, which contains heavy and chemical metals. In any country, wetlands are not drained by agricultural or sewage sludge, but this is happening in Iran. It is an unhealthy and irrational wastewater discharge that threatens public health. ”

Extinction of fish due to water disinfection/wastewater

“It’s true, but when it’s done with sugar cane, it’s going to have very adverse effects on the environment,” he said, pointing out that the amount of water released by the government is about 40 centimeters. Unfortunately, many aquatic fishes of the region are rare and indigenous fish, because of the salinity of the water are extinct. ”

Ministry of Oil; is the main reason of Hoor-al-azim wetland drying up.

“In 1982, the area of ​​ Hoor-al-azim wetland was more than 90 thousand hectares, but after the coming of the ninth and tenth governments, unfortunately, the oil company extended to Azadegan, and it is the main reason of Hoor-al-azim wetland drying up.

The oil company started from Yadavaran in Hoveizeh and continues to the Iranian border, which is a joint oil between Iran and Iraq. The company has implemented many projects. According to the National Environmental Protection Agency of Iran, the area of ​​ Hoor-al-azim122 hectares has been announced that about 70 thousand hectares of agricultural waste and sewage have been fed. If they claim to have depleted it, I invite all reporters to visit the seven rivers that provide Horealazim. These rivers, which are the main supplier of water, are dry now.

Drainage Sugarcane in Shadegan

Mr Abbayat added about the current situation in Shadegan wetland: “Shadegan is currently fed with sugarcane drainage. The lawful Shadegan is not assigned to the rivers of Khuzestan, and the main cause of its drought is the same. If Shadegan and Hoor-al-azim completely dry up, the situation is a disastrous already but If Shadegan and Hoor-al-azim wetland dry up completely, Shadegan will be in a chaos situation. It will be impossible to continue living in this province. ”

This environmental activist points out that the aquatic animals of the Shadegan wetland live in freshwater and cannot live with salt water in the wastewater of agriculture, “agriculture waste has increased the salinity of the water and, as a result, the death of many aquatic species, which are rare »

God save us from the Sand Storms

Many people who live near wetlands around Khuzestan wetlands, have migrated to the metropolises area of the country; one of the most important reasons for this migration is the problem, sand storms.

He continued: “There are three sources for sand storms; internal, local, and foreign,”. Local origin is 15 kilometers in the area, but the internal origin is more effective than you imagine. ”

The state of Iraq’s wetlands is better than Iran

“Internal sand storms are due to dampness of wetlands and waterlessness,” he said. According to last year’s statistics, the status of Iraq’s wetlands adjacent to Khuzestan is much better and more favorable than Iran. Because the rights of Iran have been cut off from the rivers in Iraq, and they have been able to use this and rehabilitate Iraq’s wetlands. Currently, some of Iraq’s wetlands have been registered globally due to favorable conditions in the Ramsay Convention. ”

Ministry of Energy is the main obstacle to global registration of Horealazim

Instrumental thinking in the management of water resources has been the cause of the country’s demise. The water crisis and drought in Iran are the result of this overcoming of instrumental thinking. There have been many conflicts over the past few years for the registration of the Criminal Code in the Ramsar Convention. Abbayat said: “Unfortunately, officials are unaware of this issue, and the Ministry of Energy also has prevented the registration of the Hoor-al-azim in the Ramsar Convention. They do not want to be an international registry, because if this happens, the Ministry of Energy will have to allocate it. The Ministry of Energy should give the right to the Karkheh Dam, but the amount of water that is allocated to the Hoor-al-azim will be spent on agriculture. They do not dedicate separate laws to the Hoor-al-azim. ”

Dried Wetlands in Khuzestan

This environmental activist emphasizes that Shadegan wetland, Hoor-al-azim and rivers have been dampened, adding that “the situation in Karkheh is also concerning, also Karoon is in a very bad situation. ”

75 percent of the country’s wetlands are dry up

According to water researchers, the preferences of government, private sector executives about mismanagement of water resources are currently in the midst of a catastrophe. Of the 1,000 wetlands in the country, according to the definition of the Ramsar Convention, 75% of our country’s wetlands are either at critical or at risk.

All of this happens when the ecological value of wetlands is 10 times more forests and 200 times more agricultural land. According to statistics, the wetlands of the 30 countries are listed in the Montserrat Convention of Ramsar (red list), respectively, with Iran and Greece, with seven wetlands respectively, followed by the Czech Republic with four wetlands, with the highest montaugh wetlands. Also, the name of 27 wetlands in 17 countries has been removed from the list due to the improvement of the ecological conditions of their wetlands. According to researches, human interference is the main reason for the drying up of the country’s wetlands, which is also due to droughts.

Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights
Written by Ali Bouazar
Date: 02/02/2018
www.ACFH.info/en​​www.ACFH.info/ar

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