Iran's Lake Parishan dries up
07/12/2009
As the threat of rising temperatures looms over the planet, Iran's largest freshwater lake dries up despite being under a UN conservation program.
Lake Parishan, which was once home to thousands of migratory birds, has suffered from low water levels for the past few years.
After losing up to 80 percent of its water reserves due to draught and lack of proper management, the lake has now dried up, Mehr news agency reported.
When the lake began to dry up, water department officials of the nearby city of Kazeroun petitioned against the illegal drainage activities by some well owners. However, by the time court orders were issued against 120 well owners the lake was beyond saving.
Lake Parishan was once one of Iran's largest lakes, spanning an area of over 5,266 kilometers squares during its best years.
A few years ago, after the Hamoun Lake, in southeastern Iran, dried up it was also seen as the country's vastest permanent freshwater lake.
The Parishan wetland was the focus of a joint project between Iran and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which aimed to remove or at the very least to decrease the threats facing its globally significant biodiversity and sustainability.
The program, however, failed to safeguard Parishan and its wildlife, as construction work cut off some of the springs pouring into the lake and devastating fires killed the specifies living in the wetland in large numbers.
Tags: iran lake parishan, lake parishan
Source:
PressTV
Iran's Lake Parishan dries up
As the threat of rising temperatures looms over the planet, Iran's largest freshwater lake dries up despite being under a UN conservation program.
Lake Parishan, which was once home to thousands of migratory birds, has suffered from low water levels for the past few years.
After losing up to 80 percent of its water reserves due to draught and lack of proper management, the lake has now dried up, Mehr news agency reported.
When the lake began to dry up, water department officials of the nearby city of Kazeroun petitioned against the illegal drainage activities by some well owners. However, by the time court orders were issued against 120 well owners the lake was beyond saving.
Lake Parishan was once one of Iran's largest lakes, spanning an area of over 5,266 kilometers squares during its best years.
A few years ago, after the Hamoun Lake, in southeastern Iran, dried up it was also seen as the country's vastest permanent freshwater lake.
The Parishan wetland was the focus of a joint project between Iran and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which aimed to remove or at the very least to decrease the threats facing its globally significant biodiversity and sustainability.
The program, however, failed to safeguard Parishan and its wildlife, as construction work cut off some of the springs pouring into the lake and devastating fires killed the specifies living in the wetland in large numbers.
Tags: iran lake parishan, lake parishan
Source:
PressTV