Zabol A Lake Hamoun, Iran and Afghanistan story
Deserts
Water
Wetlands
The lakes visible in these close-up images are the Chah-Nimeh reservoirs. These natural cavities in the southern Sistan plain are near Zabol, Iran, which is seen in the upper left of these images. The water in these reservoirs provides drinking water for Zabol, whose 2013 population was about 122,000. Canals connecting the reservoirs can be seen along with a canal that that branches off the Helmand River, on the right.
A field study conducted in December 2009 and January 2010 found a low level of water flow in the Helmand River, which failed to reach Lake Hamoun. Instead, the water was diverted to the Chah-Nimeh reservoirs.
Location
Nov. 14, 1976, Landsat 2 (path/row 169/38,39) — Zabol and Chah-Nimeh reservoirs, Iran
June 20, 1987, Landsat 5 (path/row 157/38,39) — Zabol and Chah-Nimeh reservoirs, Iran
June 2, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 157/38,39) — Zabol and Chah-Nimeh reservoirs, Iran
June 7, 2000, Landsat 5 (path/row 157/38,39) — Zabol and Chah-Nimeh reservoirs, Iran
Aug. 3, 2009, Landsat 5 (path/row 157/38,39) — Zabol and Chah-Nimeh reservoirs, Iran
July 13, 2013, Landsat 8 (path/row 157/38,39) — Zabol and Chah-Nimeh reservoirs, Iran
July 30, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 157/38,39) — Zabol and Chah-Nimeh reservoirs, Iran
July 3, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 157/38,39) — Zabol and Chah-Nimeh reservoirs, Iran
Lake Hamoun, Iran and Afghanistan Additional Imagery & Stories
Dust Storms
Even with these reservoirs, dry lakebeds surrounding Zabol are problematic. A “120-day wind” blows in this region. These persistent spring and summer ...
Lake Gowd-e-Zareh
Water from the Helmand River is used upstream for agriculture. The river turns west and flows across the border into Iran and drains into the Lake Ham...
The Hamoun Wetlands
The Lake Hamoun area is classified as freshwater wetlands. Because Hamoun is a closed basin, it’s more of an inland delta. About 60,000 hectares of th...