The Tears of Motherland

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project © masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project © masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project View all images ↓
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This project addresses the tragedy of Miankaleh's destruction, a vital ecosystem in the southeast Caspian Sea. Rapid water decline, environmental degradation threaten local biodiversity and communities.I aim to document this crisis through a personal view

 

The Iranian climate is predominantly arid or semi-arid, severely impacted by depleting water resources due to rising demand, salinization, groundwater overexploitation, and increasing drought frequency. The Caspian Sea, the world’s largest closed lake, plays a crucial role in water level fluctuations. Recent rapid changes in the Caspian Sea level have created unstable conditions for coastal areas over the past decades.

Miankaleh International Wetland, located in the southeast part of the Caspian Sea, is one of the most critical and vulnerable coastal regions.Designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Miankaleh is one of the most significant and diverse wetland ecosystems in the world. It serves as a crucial habitat for a wide array of wildlife, including numerous endangered species and migratory birds that rely on the wetland for breeding and feeding and it includes Gorgan Bay, Ashoradeh, and the Miankaleh peninsula.

The decline in the Caspian Sea water level has significantly reduced the inflow to the wetland, causing extensive drying in the western and northeastern areas. Additionally, rapid urbanization, agricultural development, industrial pollution, mismanagement, and excessive river water use have exposed the wetland ecosystem to severe environmental challenges. Recent reports indicate that 30% of the wetland area has dried up.

 

 Observations spanning my entire life and recent years studies on the Miankaleh drought crisis have deepened my understanding of this catastrophe. The short-term effects are evident, but the long-term projections are even more concerning. The ecological consequences of this decline would be disastrous.

The starting point for this project dates back to my childhood, when a taxidermized flamingo was brought to our home as a gift. I was terrified of it, yet it was always there, a constant presence. That fear parallels the deep sense of dread I now feel about the destruction of this environment. Over last years, I’ve conducted research and captured photographs, but to truly give a voice to this land and tell its story, I need support and assistance. This project is my way of turning that fear into action, and with the right support I believe it can inspire others to join the fight for conservation

 

The destruction of this environment could lead to irreparable harm, affecting everything from wildlife and the extinction of rare plant and animal species to the severe challenges faced by people with fragile economies who are already confronting numerous difficulties. In addition to all the impacts it has in this regard, this ecosystem is a part of our identity. Watching its destruction is like witnessing the loss of a piece of myself and my people. I do not view myself as separate from this crisis; I am part of it

 

Given all the limitations in my country, this project requires guidance and support from an international community in order to effectively convey its importance and message. A project of such significance, spanning from local to international levels, and addressing both environmental and identity-related issues, requires the support of experienced individuals in this field to make its message heard. Through my research, I have realised that, beyond this geographical area, many other wetlands in the region are also on the verge of disappearing. Guidance and support from an international platform will greatly assist in expanding my efforts.

with the support of this grant, I plan to expand the project to the entire Caspian Sea coastline. The Caspian Sea, the world’s largest enclosed body of water, spans approximately 700 kilometers along Iran's northern border. It holds immense environmental, economic, and cultural significance for the region, serving as a crucial source of biodiversity and a lifeline for local communities.

 n addition to the Caspian Sea, there are numerous lakes and wetlands across Iran that are also under threat. With the support of this grant, I can extend my work to these vital water bodies, helping to preserve them before they are irreversibly damaged. In future stages, I aim to expand the project to cover all of Iran's lakes and wetlands. Iran, a country facing significant environmental challenges, requires attention to its endangered water resources .

This project deserves attention because it highlights the urgent and often overlooked consequences of climate change in a globally significant ecosystem beyond scientific data and statistics. By visually documenting these challenges, the project can raise global awareness about the broader environmental crisis, inspire action, and contribute to conversations on conservation and climate resilience. The compelling imagery has the potential to resonate with audiences worldwide, making the plight of Miankaleh a powerful symbole for climate action.

 

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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Although it is illegal to burn agricultural waste, a farmer is doing it to re-prepare the landIn Mazandaran Province of northern Iran, many people are employed in rice farming, which serves as a major source of income Concern over agricultural diffuse pollution sources in integrated water quality management has been growing recently.

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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A rancher has tied a horse to be tamed.In some areas of wetland, ranchers keep their herds legally. Miankaleh peninsula was famous for being home to free horses. observing the free horses is one of the other attractions of Minakaleh wildlife. In recent years, free horses have become very rare. Horses are essential to the ecosystem

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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People come to the beach behind the power plant to spend time and have fun.In some cases, due to an incident that occur people are prohibited from entering Miankalaeh. They go to other beaches. Shahid Salimi power plant is located a few kilometers from the wetland. which has been very controversial in recent years in terms of pollution

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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An old photo of my mother and aunt with their friends in Ashurade Island. They went to the island for camping through school and the photo was taken more than 50 years ago and belonged to my mother's personal album.

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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The wedding of 21-year-old shepherd, who lives in Yaqoub Lange village. He and his brides waiting for dinner and the rest of the ceremony at his employer house. He owner of the sheep he keeps has arranged a wedding for him. Yaqub Lange, one of the nearest villages to Miankaleh

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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Despite the lack of water, farmers planted rice again. Because agriculture is the only source of income for them. Drought of agricultural land and reduction of underground water, cause dryness of the Miankaleh wetland. The increase of agricultural land in the east of Mazandaran province and the west of Golestan province has caused the water level of rivers to decrease

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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A fisherman draws a net in Miankaleh. Due to the low catch, this was the second time he cast a net in one day. Industrial, agricultural, and domestic pollution and illegal fishing during fish spawning season, caused a decrease in the reproduction of fish in the Caspian Sea

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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In January 2020, the media reported the mysterious death of over 40,000 migratory birds in the Miankaleh peninsula; a week later, the veterinary organization announced that "botulinum poisoning" was the reason behind mass bird mortality.Botulism disease, which for the second consecutive year has caused the death of a large number of migratory birds in Miankaleh and Gorgan Bay.

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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An old photo of my hunter uncle in his bird shop. He had caught so many wildlife birds that he taxidermied them and sold them

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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On a winter evening, I was leaving the wetland when I saw flocks of crows in the sky. I remember that throughout my childhood, the sky of Miankaleh was full of migratory birdsAccording to news, migration of birds to Miankaleh wetland to decrease by about 70% in the last 16 years.

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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A brother and sister brought their bird to Ashurade beach to show the island to the bird. The tiny island and the wetlands that surround it provide a rich ecological harbour for numerous migratory birds.Ashuradeh is one of the main areas for fishing sturgeon, the species that provide caviar. Over 40% of Iran’s caviar is produced near Ashuradeh Island

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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The shepherd man and his son took the sheep out for grazing on a rainy day. The shepherd man was a fisherman in the past. Fishing was the occupation of our ancestors, but in recent years it is not worth the effort. Our fishing nets were empty. I left that job and became a shepherd of people's sheep. I bring my son with me to learn the new occupation of his ancestors. Because when he grows up there

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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Some young people are having fun in Gorgan Bay on holiday.Gorgan Bay is a semi-enclosed basin located in the southeast of the Caspian Sea. The bay was recognized as a resting place for migratory birds as well as a spawning habitat for native fish is separated from the main water body by the Miankaleh peninsula and extends until the Ashuradeh peninsula.

© masoumeh bahrami - An old photo of my parents and brother with their friends who came to the Miankaleh due to have fun and buy fish.
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An old photo of my parents and brother with their friends who came to the Miankaleh due to have fun and buy fish.

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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Taxidermy birds of my uncle in a photography studio.my uncle Parviz was one of the famous hunters of the region.He was one of the collectors of taxidermy birds. Once he gave us one of the birds which was my childhood nightmare. In the past, taxidermy of birds was a common thing in this region.

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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On the 9th day of Muharram, the custodian of Ashuradeh Mosque has come to the deserted island to hold a religious ceremony. He was an inhabitant of the island and was a servant of the mosque all his life. After years of evacuation, he still has the key to the mosque and comes to the island for all religious ceremonies. I am the servant of this mosque as long as I live, he said.

© masoumeh bahrami - A view of an abandoned boat in AshuradeThis island has been deserted for about 20 years after a terrible flood.
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A view of an abandoned boat in AshuradeThis island has been deserted for about 20 years after a terrible flood.

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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The shepherd man and his son took the sheep out for grazing on a rainy day. The shepherd man was a fisherman in the past. Fishing was the occupation of our ancestors, but in recent years it is not worth the effort. Our fishing nets were empty. I left that job and became a shepherd of people's sheep. I bring my son with me to learn the new occupation of his ancestors. Because when he grows up there

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
i

A man is sitting on the coastline between Miankaleh and the Caspian Sea after swimming.Swimming in the Miankaleh coastline is one of the pastimes of local

© masoumeh bahrami - Image from the The Tears of Motherland photography project
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A view of the deserted amusement park of Golugah Beach from Gorgan Bay.The southern coastline of Miankale Lagoon, which is called the Gorgan Bay Beach, is connected with different cities of Mazandaran and Golestan. In the city of Golugah, an entertainment complex was built on this beach Due to the drought of the lagoon, this complex became an abandoned place and failed.