TEHRAN – Recent heavy rainfalls have led Jazmourian wetland to be filled by 80 percent, Marjan Shakeri, head of Kerman province’s department of environment has said.

Overflow of Jazmourian wetland has made the locals happy, she added, YJC reported on Tuesday.

Shakeri pointed out that Jazmourian has become one of the dust hotspots in the southern part of the country due to droughts, adding, while recent rains resulted in environmental and economic prosperity of the region.

The excessive withdrawal of groundwater resources and permanent drought over the past years along with low precipitation and high temperature rates, have led the wetland to dry up, he said, adding that the wetland has become a hotspot for sand and dust storms.

Nestled between the provinces of Kerman and Sistan-Baluchestan, Jazmourian is one of the two major wetlands in southeast Iran, which is on the knife-edge of complete desiccation as a result of climate change, excessive dam construction and the depletion of groundwater resources. 

The area of Hamoon and Jazmourian basin stretches to 69,600 square kilometers, with the western part of 35,600 square kilometers in Kerman province and the eastern part of 34,000 square kilometers in Sistan-Baluchestan province.

FB/MG