The Hamoun wetlands have been subjected to the negative effects of climate change, drought, and mismanagement on both the governments of Iran and Afghanistan with severe consequences for the people living in the Hamoun basin. Mohammad Ehsani’s documentary entitled “Once Hamoun,” illustrates the complex web of geopolitical and environmental issues at play over the Hamouns.

On Wednesday, September 7, 2016, the Future of Iran Initiative hosted a documentary screening and a panel discussion moderated by the Future of Iran Initiative’s Acting Director Barbara Slavin. Featuring Mohammad Ehsani, Iranian documentary filmmaker, Fatemeh Aman, expert on Middle Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Gerald Galloway, Professor of Engineering at the University of Maryland, Sher Jan Ahmadzai, Director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the University of Nebraska, and David Laylin, international Ecologist, to discuss the Hamouns and water crisis in Iran.