In Iran, Lakes Are Turning To Scorched Earth A Shocking Report by Reuters, Written by Ali Raiss-Tousi  Dasht-e Arjan, Fars Province The cool waters of Lake Arjan in Fars province in southern Iran were once a haven for migrating birds, wild animals and diverse plant life. But, now the sun beats relentlessly on the dried and cracked lake bed and nomads, who could once depend on pastures further afield, have brought their goats and sheep to forage for the last scraps of greenery. After three years of extreme drought, which is the most severe in Iran for 30 years, most of the country's wetlands have dried out and many farmers are struggling to survive. Iran's nomads have been badly hit. Lands which once supported their livestock no longer have sufficient vegetation. "They have sold around 80 percent of their livestock," said Mohammad Aqa-Rezaei, an expert at the Environment Protection Organization. "There is not enough fodder to go around." Some 800,000 head of livestock died last year. Officials have said millions of sheep, goats, cattle and even traditionally resilient camels are threatened this year. Iran's natural biodiversity is shriveling under the heat. The affect of the drought on the area's flora and fauna has been devastating,'' said Alamdar Alamdari, a senior environment researcher in Fars province, where Lake Arjan is located. "More than 90 percent of our wetlands have completely dried up," he said, adding that alongside natural vegetation, animals such as wild cats, foxes and mountain goats were suffering. Almost all of Iran's 28 provinces have suffered sharp drops in rainfall for the third consecutive year. In Sistan-Baluchestan, in the southeast, there has been 78 percent less rain than last year's total, which was already low. In Fars province, rainfall has been 47 percent less than last year. Only one freshwater lake in the province -- Lake Parishan -- has survived the drought, but there too water levels are retreating. "This year we did not even have 50,000 birds,'' Alamdari said. "This is down from up to a million birds from 160 species who nest here in normal years." Lake Hamoon, on Iran's border with Afghanistan, was a vital water source for local herders and a dynamic ecosystem, despite its parched desert surroundings. Now, the lake bed is a short cut for smugglers in a region where the trafficking of drugs and other contraband is rife. Irrigation channels which once transferred water to farms have run dry and villagers, who have not yet abandoned their dwellings, face a daily routine of fetching drinking water from far-off wells. Lake Bakhtegan, which once covered around 150,000 hectares, was a major source of humidity and an important barrier against the desertification of Fars, Alamdari said. But now It has become a short cut for truck drivers. "The threat of desert encroachment from the east will be serious if Bakhtegan remains dry,'' he added. According to the United Nations, damage to agriculture and livestock is estimated at $2.6 billion this year, up from $1.7 billion in 2000. Farmers are expecting reductions of 35-75 percent in wheat and barley produce. Last year Iran imported a record seven million tons of wheat, partly because of reduced domestic production due to the drought. Drinking water has been rationed in more than 30 major towns and cities. The capital Tehran, with a population of 10 million, has been divided into six districts each of which face a 12-hour water cut once a week. (end)