Sistan Basin

In times of flood the hamuns join into one large lake, and once every 20 years or so the floodwaters create an overflow from the Hamun-e Helmand by a normally dry river known as the Shela Rud, terminating in the Godzareh Depression.

[4] Since the economy of the region is based on agriculture, subsistence depends on snowmelt and rainfall in the high mountains to sustain the health of the Sistan Basin and its wetlands.

This source of water fluctuates severely over time and therefore has resulted in fundamental problems of survival for human settlements in the area.

For example, beds of reeds provide livestock food, cooking and heating fuel, and the raw materials for structures and handicrafts.

The result of the drought has been the collapse of the local economy as well as destruction of the wetland's ecological system, causing damage to the agriculture in the delta based on the Helmand River's irrigation.

Also, Shahdad, located further to the west, on the western side of Lut desert, is a related site from the Bronze Age.