Caspian Without Borders(Russia)
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“From the drone's eye, the dredged channels looked like newly carved lifeblood vessels, channeling the Caspian Sea back into the parched heart of Gorgan Bay—a race against time and drought.” — [Mohammad Ataei / Photographer]
Captured via drone over the Gorgan Bay restoration project in Golestan Province, Iran, this aerial photograph documents the massive dredging operations at the Ashouradeh channel. Heavy machinery works meticulously in grid-like earthworks to reconnect the receding Caspian Sea with the drying bay.
Severe drought and falling Caspian water levels had pushed this crucial aquatic ecosystem to the brink of total collapse. I took this photograph to capture a pivotal moment in Iran's environmental history: a large-scale engineering effort to save Gorgan Bay and the adjacent Miankaleh Biosphere Reserve. The geometric contrast between engineered dirt channels and the returning water reflects humanity’s intense struggle to undo ecological degradation and restore nature's balance.
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