Ten years ago, when I heard about 120-day summer sandstorms in Hamoon lake for the first time, I had no image of the on-going disaster. During various trips to the semi-abandoned villages in the heart of the storm in Sistan province of Iran, near Afghanistan border, I observed the life of the last survivors, who have based their lifestyles on Hamoon lake climate and have been doing jobs such as fishing, mat weaving, animal farming and agriculture over a thousand years. But nowadays, they live in a critical condition without having any access to drinking water, electricity, health, education and suffer from respiratory illnesses, poverty, unemployment, and addiction.
It was unbelievable for me to see how these people have lost all their belongings through generations over less than 20 years and have changed to be depressed and demotivated. Hamoon Lake and wetlands, which holds the seventh international rank in the world has an area of 5660 square kilometers, is Iran’s third biggest lake (about 3820 square kilometers) and most of it is in Sistan and Baluchistan province. Hirmand river, which is originated from Hendokosh mountains in Afghanistan, is the main water route and Hamoon survival as well as its residents depend on this river. This dependence has caused some problems for the whole system due to any fluctuation in water level. The main reason of Hamoon Lake drought is that new government of Afghanistan intentionally preventing the entrance of Hirmand River into Iran.
This has caused interference in the life of four hundred thousand Sistani and Balouch in more than one hundred forty thousand hectors of eastern lands of Iran. The consequence of drought is large number of internal migrations from this land, and poverty and insecurity by drug smugglers and terrorists’ active gangs which using this dry river for easier commute.
-
- 400,000 people live around Hamoon dry lake on the Iranian shore. In summer, the temperature often exceeds 50 degrees Celsius. There used to water in the lake, replenished by the Hirmand River.
-
- The lake is currently all dried up due to a diplomatic conflict between the Iranian and Afghani governments. Afghanistan has since cut the river’s flow to Hamoon
-
- Many families have a lot of children. the inhabitants of villages are impoverished and can no longer send their children to school.They will be forced to leave their ancestral homes behind in order to find work in cities in which they are not welcome
-
- khadijeh , 78 years old live alone in a small room in takhtak vilage Many elderly remain alone as their children have left the lake
-
- mohammad try to finding network for call to doctor in Siasar village Gaining access to medical services is a real problem in Siasar. Most of the time, the cellular network does not work
-
- Amanolah and 9 his children dont have any identity card Amanolah’s wife is Iranian. She is only allowed to go in town.Many men living in the environs of the lake don’t have an identity card. Thus they cannot move in towns for school,hospital shoping and …
-
- The lack of identity cards prevents children from attending school, thereby propagating the poverty of the previous generation
-
- People must drive 10 km just to collect water. If something goes wrong with the car, their life is in danger since nobody will visit them
-
- When there was water in Moladadi, people fished. Now they have become farmers. They grow tomatoes, eggplants and water melons. But the crops alter the soil so when it rains, the water goes deep below the ground
-
- To feed the cows and sheep, men have to venture very far away from villages to find grazing pastures
-
- There is little hope for the people living around Hamoon lake. They only pray for the return of water
