Straddling the borders of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, the Hamoun Wetlands had long been an oasis in the otherwise arid landscape of Central Asia. By the turn of the twenty-first century, however, these wetlands were desiccated by irrigation and drought. In mid-May 2008, a dust storm arose from dry lake beds left behind by the once-moist wetlands.
The Al Hawizah Marshes comprise the largest remaining tract of wetlands in the Mesopotamian Marshlands of Iran and Iraq. In the last 10 years, damming and diversion of waters from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, and draining of wetlands has led to a loss of 85% of wetlands that once covered about 20,000 square km (7,725 square miles).
Everglades National Park in southern Florida is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. Known as the “river of grass,” the Everglades wetlands and wooded uplands host a variety of endangered species including crocodiles, manatees, and panthers.