UN Chronicle | Wetlands between Afghanistan and Iran Drying Out

Wetlands between Afghanistan and Iran Drying Out
By Alexandre Slavashevich for the Chronicle

Web Article

The internationally significant Sistan wetlands—shared between Afghanistan and Iran—are almost completely dry, according to a recent United Nations Environment Programme report presented to environmental leaders in Nairobi.

Satellite imagery has revealed that 99 per cent of the wetlands have dried up since 1998. The Helmand River, the main tributary of the wetlands which drains 31 per cent of Afghanistan's land area, has run as much as 98 per cent below its annual average in recent years. Four years of drought have compounded problems caused by uncoordinated management of the river basin's dams and irrigation schemes during two decades of conflict. Without a stable source of water, much of the natural vegetation of the Sistan basin has died. This has contributed to soil erosion and significant movement of sand onto roads and into settlements and irrigated areas.

While renewed rainfall could restore river flows and wetland areas, their long-term sustainability would require proper and coordinated management of water extraction from dams, rivers and wells, and prevention of contamination from waste dumps, sewers and chemicals, the report shows. It would also need transboundary cooperation.

Despite the Wetlands decline, Afghanistan's first national park, Band-e-Amir, is still in good hydrological condition. The area contains six lakes of crystal-clear water separated by white travertine dams and surrounded by spectacular red cliffs.

UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said:"With the restoration of national governance in Afghanistan, we have an historic opportunity to create environmental laws and policies and build the capacity for sustainable management of natural resources. But long-term improvements cannot be expected without sustained technical and financial assistance from the international community."

The wetlands report was released in preparation for World Water Day on 22 March. The event, under the theme "Water for the Future", will focus attention on many water management issues around the globe. The other main event for the International Year of Freshwater (WaterYear 2003) is the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan. Organized by the World Water Council and hosted by the Government of Japan, which also supports the concurrent Ministerial Conference, the Forum will be held from 16 to 23 March 2003 in Kyoto and in the Yodo River Basin—Lake Biwa area, including Shiga and Osaka.

At the forum, the World Water Assessment Programme, a collaboration between 23 UN agencies involved in freshwater and hosted by UNESCO, will present its World Water Development Report. This is the first of a planned series of reports on the state of water stress in the world, due to be published every three years.

Links

World Water Day

Official site of the International Year of Freshwater 2003

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