Huwaizah Marsh

Huwaizah Marsh (also known as Hur al-Azim ((Persian: تالاب هور العظیم) is the largest marsh in Khuzestan province. Hur al-Azim means a large marsh, one of the vastest marshes in Iran. Two-thirds of this marsh is located in Iraq, and one-third of it is situated within the borders of Iran. However, the area of this one-third is vast. These days, the part of the marsh that still has water is about 29,000 hectares.

It is about an hour and a half from Ahvaz to Huwaizeh marsh, 40 minutes from Huwaizeh, and 25 minutes from Azadegan plain. A vast area of this marsh is supplied from Karkheh and Arvandrud rivers. Water depth varies from a few centimeters to two or three meters. Reed beds are an integral part of this marsh. But different other plants can be found in the edges, such as typha and water lilies. 

The best time to travel to the Huwaizah Marsh is autumn and winter. During these two seasons, migratory birds arrive, and their voices mingle with the sound of running water. There are different species of Bird such as the Francolinus, the marbled duck, the African sacred ibis, and the red-breasted goose. Foxes, jackals, otters, boars, reed cats, herons, ducks, and white-fronted geese also live on the shores of Huwaizah Marsh. Some species of fish are found in Huwaizah Marsh, such as carp and grass carp. But the animal that has always been a part of Huwaizah Marsh is the buffalo. The view of the buffaloes watering in the marsh is a familiar scene for the residents.

There were many villages on the edge of the marsh that people were evacuated during the war with Iraq. Now, the Rafi city, which is 5 km away from the marsh, is the closest city to it, and no one lives in the surrounding villages.

Although the marsh was watered after the end of the Iran-Iraq war, Huwaizah Marsh is not in a good situation due to the construction of roads and the digging of oil wells. The drying of Huwaizah has played a leading role in the production of dust and haze.