Daily Life

In the image, a children's playground slide in a local park near Takht-e Edalat in the vicinity of Zabol is visible against the backdrop of a partially dried section of Lake Hamoun on a stormy day. Abandoned boats of fishermen can be seen scattered across various locations in the province. The unemployment of farmers, livestock keepers, and fishermen has led to the migration of some to both small and large cities. After two decades of drought in Sistan and Baluchestan in Iran, the desiccation of Hamoun Lake due to the blocking and the closure of the Helmand River's watershed to Hamoun by Afghanistan, has led to the famous 120-day Sistan winds intensifying to 200 days per year. The maximum wind speed in July exceeds 110 kilometers per hour. This has led to the abandonment of around 200 villages, with their residents forced to migrate, and many rural areas becoming buried under relentless dust storms. Lake Hamoun is formed by the convergence of three smaller lakes during periods of abundant water and constitutes a shared lake between Afghanistan and Iran. The expanse of Lake Hamoun, when filled, is 5660 square kilometers, with 3820 square kilometers belonging to Iran and the rest to Afghanistan.