In 2015, Iran began one of the most impressive water works in the Middle East: a tunnel to divert water from the Gulf of Oman to the desert regions of the country. This is to stem the problem of drought. In the last few decades more than 8,000 villages have been abandoned by farmers due to desertification. In the coming years, entire regions of the country could be transformed into almost completely uninhabitable areas. Lakes and rivers are dying and the country's aquifers are being depleted due to the growing population and needs of the agricultural sector.
