The once gorgeous Gulf of Gorgan, one of the Caspian Sea's vastest bays, is likely to vanish in at most eight years if no efficient remedial measure is adopted, a member of the Caspian Sea National Research Center said.
Covering an area of about 400 square kilometers in the southeast of the Caspian Sea on Golestan and Mazandaran provinces, the once-thriving gulf, the largest bay in the region, is now on the brink of desiccation, and the scant remaining water in the body is polluted.
According to Homayoun Khoshravan, who also heads the environment research team at the Science Ministry, the gulf has so far lost about half of its area and will completely die out and turn into a source of dust storm if no action is taken, IRNA reported.
"Unlike the 1995-2006 period when the gulf had an acceptable water inflow from the sea, the incoming water has decreased significantly as the link between the bodies has been almost cut thanks to the sea's water recession," Khoshravan said.
With an annual decrease of 3 to 4 centimeters in the water level of the Caspian Sea, which is equal to 12 billion cubic meters, it is quite normal that the sea can no longer feed the gulf.
He further explained that the gulf is a shallow one, almost four meters deep at the deepest parts, which makes it extremely vulnerable to dry climates and the high evaporation rate that is 3 to 4 times higher than the rate of water inflow.
Extensive industrial development along the northern coast, atmospheric and environmental pollution, and the dumping of millions of gallons of untreated sewage have inflicted widespread damage on the gulf.
Reportedly, a large number of aquatic and plant species in the region are struggling to survive extinction due to the indifference on the part of authorities.
The problem is not merely limited to the gulf. The surrounding wetlands, such as Miankaleh, are also involved in the trouble.
"Unfortunately, over 95% of Miankaleh wetland is dried up," the official added.
Main Culprit
More than natural causes such as climate change and continuous increase in temperature, it is human mismanagement that has created such a disastrous situation in the area.
It has been almost two years since the establishment of a rescue team made up of provincial authorities to help address the issue, but unfortunately to no avail, Khoshravan regretted.
"[The plan] to dredge Khazini Channel and the Strait of Chapoghli, through which the bay is fed, is on hold as a pending proposal, and short- and long-term plans to rescue the gulf have never become operational," he said.
Offering a solution, he said the huge water discharge (10 cm of water per second) from Neka Power Plant, in Mazandaran Province, is directly released into the Caspian Sea, while it can help save the gulf, especially in the far western part which is extremely troubled.
"Officials in Golestan and Mazandaran provinces follow different goals, if any, and that is the main cause of inaction over the problem," he complained.
Anyhow, for both provinces, the rescue of the gulf only makes sense if it results in the development of industrial projects and "the only meaningless purpose for them is saving the environment," he said.
Experts have repeatedly said a fate similar to that of Urmia Lake awaits the bay, although the Gulf of Gorgan is more vulnerable than the former given its shallowness and the small area compared to Urmia Lake.
Urmia Lake is the country's largest inland body of water, nestled between the provinces of East Azarbaijan and West Azarbaijan in northwestern Iran. Due to years of mismanagement, the lake is nearing total desiccation.
