Drought, Fires, and Fish Deaths: Hor al-Azim's Tragedy

A putrid stench hangs in the air, heavy and inescapable.

The once-crystal waters of the Hor al-Azim marshes have turned into a graveyard, their surface a grotesque mosaic of silver and white.

Thousands of fish, from tiny fry to mature adults, float belly-up in the shallow, murky depths.

Their glassy eyes stare lifelessly at the merciless sun beating down from above, as if in silent accusation of the catastrophe that has befallen them.

The director of environmental protection of Dasht-e Azadegan city announced the loss of thousands of fish over the past few days.

The lack of water and the fires in parts of the Hor al-Azim marshes have significantly impacted the residents of the region.

In an interview with Mana news agency, Hadi Jalali said that the death of the fish is due to decreased oxygen levels caused by pollution, increased water salinity, and the reduced depth of the marshes in coastal areas.

He said, "In recent days, the water rights of Hor al-Azim marshes have decreased, which we hope will be fully restored through consultations with the Khuzestan water and electricity organization."

The water rights for the Hor al-Azim marshes are set at 300 million cubic meters per year.

However, in recent years, drought and the reduced flow of the Karkheh River, the primary water source for the marshes, have limited its supply, threatening the livelihood of the region's residents.

The fish provided sustenance for hundreds of families during the fishing season, but now, in the scorching summer heat, with depleted water and fires raging, they present a horrifying image.

The largest water protests took place in Khuzestan three years ago.

The apocalyptic images of buffaloes burned in fires and stuck in the mud are still vivid in the memories of the region's residents.

During those days, the once-beautiful Hor al-Azim marshes, known as the green gem of southwest Khuzestan, were referred to as "mass graves" in the domestic media.

The director of environmental protection for the Azadegan Plain has said, "If the environmental conditions do not improve and the water rights are not secured, there is a risk that the fish fry will perish in the marshes' depths."

A young woman, who has been raising awareness for years in Sosangerd, Dasht-e-Azadegan, and the marginal neighbourhoods of Ahvaz, responds to questions about this year's fire and the region's overall mood with a sigh.

"Fishing is crucial for the livelihood of the region's people. The loss of fish has occurred before, but this year is especially severe.

"The poor ecological conditions and the illegal use of electronic shockers are worrying the local fishermen.

"Hor al-Azim marshes is a large water area covering 450,000 hectares, with 150,000 hectares in Iran and 300,000 hectares in Iraq.

"The main water source for the Iraqi part is the Tigris River, while the Iranian part relies on the Dez River, both affected by numerous dams, drought, and climate change."

In Iran, misguided water policies by the Islamic Republic have exacerbated the situation, worsening environmental challenges each year.

A well-known environmental activist in Khuzestan, who wishes to remain anonymous for security reasons, shared photos of the marshes' current state, saying, "The images are repetitive but tragic, a large number of fish have died in Hor al-Azim marshes."

The activist attributes the fish deaths to rising temperatures, high evaporation, and decreased water depth, resulting in oxygen depletion.

Despite improved water reserves over the past two years, Khuzestan's environmental authorities have been "lazy" in securing the wetland's water rights, according to the activist.

This inefficiency, perceived by locals as a "deliberate" policy, has led to the drying of downstream palm groves and stagnation in agriculture.

Before the media reported the fish deaths, a fire had broken out in the vegetation of the Hor al-Azim marshes.

Nearly 500 hectares of vegetation caught fire, spreading from the Iraqi part to the Iranian side, according to the Environmental Protection Organization.

This annual occurrence is not surprising to Khuzestan's environmental authorities.

They warned of potential fires in the Iraqi part of Hor al-Azim marshes with the start of summer, hoping the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would arrange necessary cooperation with Iraq to mitigate the issue.

Two weeks after the fire started in Iraq, Iran was caught in a snap presidential election.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government were managed by interim officials, and environmental issues were not prioritized in the election programs or promises.

Mohammed Darvish, an environmental activist and expert, is among those who attribute the annual fires in Hor al-Azim marshes to deliberate actions and negligence.

He says, "Drying the Hor al-Azim marshes facilitates oil extraction for the Iraqi government.

"Additionally, the security and border issues between the two countries are less concerning with the reeds gone.

"Consequently, there is an unspoken agreement not to control the fire in Hor al-Azim marshes, as both sides benefit from clearing the dense reeds.

"This is why Hor al-Azim was never registered as an international wetland in the Ramsar Convention."

Davoud Mirshekar, Director General of Environmental Protection of Khuzestan, after the news about the death of fish due to the lack of water rights for Hor al-Azim marshes, said, "Follow-ups have been done to secure Hor al-Azim water rights from the provincial water and electricity organization, but the water resources management laws of the province do not allow the release of water into the ponds around the marshes."

The ponds around Hor al-Azim are home to most of the marsh's fish.

The water in these ponds evaporates in the summer due to extreme heat, leading to fish deaths at the entrance of Hor al-Azim marshes.

"On Friday afternoons in Khuzestan, in winter and summer, the smell of fish is strong in the houses," says Maryam, who spent her childhood in one of Khuzestan's cities.

She explains, "Most residents of Khuzestan use fish from the region, which are fresher and cheaper."

"Since three years ago, our situation has worsened every year," a resident who lives nearby the marshes says.

"The severe lack of water threatens our safety, but it's even harder to see the death of livestock and fish."