The Tragedy of Zayandeh Rud, in Isfahan

The river originates from the central Zagros Mountains, particularly Zardkouh in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. It flows eastward in the central plain of Iran and pours into the Gavakhouni Wetland.

However, Zayandeh Rud’s permanent flow has stopped for years. Since 2007, the river lost its permanent flow throughout its direction and its dryness has adversely affected the city of Esfahan tourism-wise as well as economically and environmentally.

But Zayandeh Rud’s flow has continued to date up to the city of Zarin Shahr and the town of Lenjan in Esfahan Province.

Zayandeh Rud is among 118 natural reserves of Iran and was put on Iran’s natural heritage list by the Cultural Heritage Organization of the country on February 9, 2011.

In recent years, every time when Zayandeh Rud is opened for cultivation by farmers in the east or west of Esfahan, the river bed becomes a place for the growth of different vegetation, which can potentially pose different environmental and social risks.

Those who damage the environment now and then put the vegetation on fire for fun but sometimes this poses a huge threat and in the event of the ill-timed deployment of firefighters, the bushfires could cause irreparable damage.