Chakhansur
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Chakhansur is a sparcely inhabitated district near Nimroz (Nimruz) / Zaranj in Nimruz Province in Afganistan. It's population is approximately 406. The economy is primarily based on agriculture and the necessary water for irrigation is dependent on the status of the Sistan Basin, an endorheic basin which periodically becomes dry.
This area of Afghanistan was a major medieval cultural hub on the Silk Road but most ancient structures are now covered by sand. Signs of historical irrigation systems, including canals, are still visible in the Chakhansur area while elsewhere canals are filled with silt and agricultural fields buried by shifting sand. Today the area is relatively sparsely populated. There continue to be problems with water control and periodic flooding and drought.[1][2][3]
Currently the Chakhansur farmers are experiencing a severe and long term drought. Even with help from the World Food Program, many have abandoned their homes, perhaps as many as 20,000, to search for water and jobs.[4]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Floods kill three, destroy 300 houses in western Afghanistan. Retrieved on 2007-07-31.
- ^ History of Environmental Change in the Sistan Basin 1976 - 2005. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
- ^ Restoration, Protection and Sustainable Use of the Sistan Basin. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
- ^ Afghans dig in, but losing ground to 7-year drought - 37 percent of population can't meet basic needs. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-07-31.
[edit] External links
- Chakhansur, Afghanistan Page
- Satellite view of Chakhansur]
- Shows Chakhansur proximity to Sistan Basin
- Dust storm over Afghanistan and Pakistan
- From Wetland to Wasteland: The Destruction of the Hanoum Oasis
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