Zirdan Dam Lake

Zirdan Dam is located in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, about 60 kilometres from Qasr-e Qand and 140 kilometres north of Chabahar. It was built on the seasonal Kajoo River and is one of the most important water infrastructure projects in the region. It was built to store floodwater and to supply water for agriculture, drinking and industry, and it came into operation in 1390 (2011). Zirdan is the third roller-compacted concrete (RCC) dam in Iran. Thanks to its modern design and precise engineering, it has also received the country's top concrete design award.

Around Zirdan Dam Lake, the vegetation includes species such as jujube (konar), mesquite (kahur), oleander, saxaul (taghe) and tamarisk (gaz), all adapted to the hot, semi-arid climate of southeastern Iran. The area is also home to important wildlife, including the gando (Iranian mugger crocodile, also known as the Baluchistan marsh crocodile), sand fox, jackal, hare, chukar partridge, see-see partridge and other native and migratory birds. The presence of the gando in the Kajoo River basin gives the area special ecological importance and makes it one of the country's key habitats of the mugger crocodile.

To reach Zirdan Dam, take the road from Chabahar towards Qasr-e Qand and, after about 60 kilometres, turn onto the road to the dam. The best time to visit is during the cooler months, autumn and winter, when the weather is milder. Given the dam's ecological and economic importance, responsible nature tourism is essential to protect the region's natural resources. This means not littering, staying out of the gando habitat and preserving the vegetation.