Hur al-Azim is an Arabic word meaning a very large lagoon. This name is due to the location of this wetland in the Arab region of Khuzestan because the natives who live around this wetland call this wetland Hur al-Azim.

Hur al-Azim is a very large water area, part of which is located in Iran, and a larger part is located outside the borders of Iran and in Iraq. When you pass this lagoon, it is hard to believe that this is not a sea and its invisible shores are just a lagoon surrounded by land. This lagoon is so large that it is difficult to imagine a size for it.

A large part of the water of this wetland is supplied from Karkheh river and for this reason, in the previous years when there was little rainfall in Iran, this wetland went to the point of drying out, but thanks to recent rains and the opening of Karkheh dam, fortunately this wetland is new. It has been revived and life has flowed throughout it. This is the point that caused a significant part of dust and pollution in Khuzestan province, which now, thanks to abundant water, this problem has faded and most of the current dust enters Khuzestan province from other sources.

Entry into the Hur al-Azim wetland is prohibited in many parts due to its location in the border strip and the need to control its passage. Of course, the presence of oil resources and oil wells has not been ineffective and has intensified the sensitivity of these areas. The same wells and oil extraction facilities, of course, have an adverse effect on the environment, which can not be denied.

The main wetland is covered with “straw” plant and does not have much depth. For this reason, it is difficult to hesitate in the lagoon with ordinary motor boats, and locals use long and narrow boats.
The humid atmosphere of this aquatic environment along with the hot weather in Khuzestan has made this wetland a suitable environment for the temporary and permanent life of various birds.
On the edge of the lagoon live many villages with many inhabitants whose lives and livestock depend on this lagoon.

Mehdi Gholami.