Rainfall was very low in Fars province last year and officials have not taken any steps to revive Fars lakes. In such a situation, the lakes have turned into salt fields which in turn can pose an environmental threat for the whole province.
Environmental expert Ali Akbar Kazemeini called the status of lakes in Fars province “critical”, adding that the lakes have completely dried up.
According to Kazemini, Kaftar Lake has completely dried up as a result of drought in the past few years and not even a small patch of water exists in the lake.
The International Parishan Lake has also dried out leaving only a small pond for aquatic species to live in.
Maharlu Lake only has a small patch of water, which is sewage water that has entered the lake from the city of Shiraz.
Bakhtegan Lake, the second largest lake in Iran, is also in critical condition due to consecutive years of drought. No efforts have been made to revive the lake. (The state-run Mehr news agency– Apr. 17, 2018)
