Thomas Erdbrink, Scarred Riverbeds and Dead Pistachio Trees in a Parched Iran
Iran is in the grip of a seven-year drought that shows no sign of breaking and that, many experts believe, may be the new normal. Even a return to past rainfall levels might not be enough to head off a nationwide water crisis, since the country has already consumed 70 percent of its groundwater supplies over the past 50 years.
Always arid, Iran is facing desertification as lakes and rivers dry up and once-fertile plains become barren. According to the United Nations, Iran is home to four of the 10 most polluted cities in the world, with dust and desertification among the leading causes.
Climate change is destabilizing the world.
from Stowe Boyd http://stoweboyd.com/post/135500052097
