Gavkhouni () also written as ''Batlaq-e-Gavkhuni'', located in the

Iranian Plateau The Iranian plateau or Persian plateau is a geological feature spanning parts of the Caucasus, Central Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. It makes up part of the Eurasian plate, and is wedged between the Arabian plate and the Indian plate. ...

in central

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, east of the city of

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

, is the terminal basin of the Zayandeh River. Gavkhouni is a

salt marsh A salt marsh, saltmarsh or salting, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. I ...

with a

salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt (chemistry), salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensio ...

of 31.5% and an average depth of about 1 m. The salt marsh can dry up in summer. The Zayandeh River originates in the

Zagros The Zagros Mountains are a mountain range in Iran, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey. The mountain range has a total length of . The Zagros range begins in northwestern Iran and roughly follows Iran's western border while covering much of s ...

mountains, and travels around 300 km, before terminating in Gavkhouni. Gavkhouni receives pollution from Isfahan and other urban sources. Isfahan is a major

oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment Ramsar site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **

flamingos,

ducks Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

geese A goose (: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egyp ...

, gulls, pelicans, and grebes. The vegetation of the area is very specialised; there are no green plants and trees around the lake due to soil salinity, but in the wetland, different species such as reeds, cattail,

Schoenoplectus ''Schoenoplectus'' (club-rush ld World species bulrush or tule ew World species is a genus of plants in the Cyperaceae, sedge family with a cosmopolitan distribution. Note that the name bulrush is also applied to species in the unrelated ...

, pondweeds and various algae grow. Gavkhouni 20190329 13

Territorial and ecological importance

Gavkhoni Wetland has many ecological values, including groundwater feeding, flood control, food storage, suitable habitat for wildlife, preventing the infiltration of surface water and underground water, maintaining the surface area against erosive factors such as wind and storm, preventing From the expansion of the desert, the stabilization of sand dunes, the acceptance of thousands of migratory birds, the purification of toxic substances and diseases, the natural processing of fodder production, tourist attractions, transportation and its economic and social transfer for the people of the region. According to the conducted studies, 229 animal species from 5 categories of vertebrates including: 49 mammal species, 125 bird species, 42 reptile species, one amphibian species, and 12 fish species have been identified in the Zayandeh River watershed.

Drying of Gavkhouni

Unfortunately, Isfahan's Gavkhouni Lagoon is currently "100%" dry. Experts say that the drying up of the Gavkhouni lagoon will increase migration and destroy the job opportunities provided through tourism.

Causes of drying

This wetland has dried up due to excessive harvesting of the water resources of the Zayandeh river basin, as well as due to mismanagement and non-expert works in recent years and has lost many functions and

ecosystem services Ecosystem services are the various benefits that humans derive from Ecosystem, ecosystems. The interconnected Biotic_material, living and Abiotic, non-living components of the natural environment offer benefits such as pollination of crops, clean ...

that it had for local communities. Because this wetland was fed by Zayandeh River, the largest river in the central regions of Iran. But in recent years, as a result of indiscriminate construction of dams for economic purposes and the drying of Zayandeh River, this wetland has also dried up. In this way, it should be said that the drying up of this international wetland is not primarily the result of the deterioration of

global climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and Statistical dispersion, variability of Meteorology, meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to milli ...

conditions. Rather, it is the product of improper management of the environment in Iran, and the lack of a comprehensive vision of development and disregard for the quality of human life and

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

has led to such a disaster. Meanwhile, Iran is a member of the international Ramsar Convention, and according to it, it has no right to pass laws that will dry up the wetlands.

Consequences of wetland drying

* Government officials say: the drying up of the Gavkhouni wetland means the creation of a large center of dust in the country and the destruction of five provinces, including Isfahan,

Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province () is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Shahr-e Kord. The province lies in the southwest of the country, with an area of 16,332 square kilometers. The province was classified as p ...

, Qom, Semnan, Yazd, and according to experts, it may even reach Tehran. * It cannot be said that the drying up of the lagoon has only affected agriculture. It should be said that the dryness of the river has had an effect on the drying of the wetland and the decrease of water in the region and the lowering of the underground water level, which has greatly affected the agriculture of the region. * The drying up of the wetland has endangered the livelihood of the people of the region and has also caused an increase in unemployment and the migration of local residents. * This event has also changed the vegetation and animal habitats and diseases such as cancer have grown.

References

External links

The Esfahan Basin

Gavkhouni International Wetland Website
Marshes of Iran Landforms of Isfahan province Endorheic basins of Asia Ramsar sites in Iran Salt marshes {{isfahan-geo-stub