Helleh Wetland

Helleh Wetland is one of the most beautiful natural attractions of Genaveh County, on the shore of the Persian Gulf. The wetland lies in the Helleh area and is fed by one of the branches of the Helleh River. The Helleh River itself is formed by the confluence of two rivers, the Dalaki and the Shapur. At an elevation of two to eight metres above sea level and covering 20,000 hectares, Helleh Wetland is part of the Helleh Protected Area, which covers 44,783 hectares. The wetland's water is supplied by the Helleh River and eventually flows into the Persian Gulf.

Thanks to its dense vegetation, including reed beds and tamarisk shrubs, Helleh Wetland has a very beautiful landscape. In autumn and winter in particular, it serves as a refuge for migratory birds. Birds found in the wetland include the stone-curlew, the green bee-eater, the bee-eater, the lark, the finch, the date bulbul (the bulbul of the date palms), the warbler, and various birds of prey such as the harrier, the kestrel, the saker falcon and the eagle, as well as many kinds of ducks, wild ducks, herons and flamingos. In addition, birds such as the houbara bustard and the francolin live in the area year-round.

Unfortunately, like many wetland areas across the country, Helleh Wetland faces numerous problems. These include continuing droughts, the lack of an allocated water right, the failure of stakeholders to release the environmental water share, upstream dams, expanded cultivated areas and water consumption in the catchment basin, inappropriate irrigation and farming methods, illegal hunting and fishing, land-use change, and pollution of the water entering the wetland. In addition, the growing number of large livestock within the wetland and poor coordination in management have reduced the biodiversity of the area.