The Area of Lake Urmia Has Decreased by 242 Kilometers in One Year

The head of the provincial office of the Urmia Lake Revival Headquarters in West Azerbaijan says that the area of Lake Urmia has decreased by 242 kilometers compared to the same period last year. Farhad Sarkhosh stated on Wednesday, December 29, that the area of Lake Urmia has reached 1,734 kilometers today. According to him, this figure is one-third of the lake's area over the past 15 years. Sarkhosh added that rainfall in the watershed of this lake has decreased by about 39% compared to last year and by about 56% compared to the average of the past 49 years. The condition of Lake Urmia has been reported as very dire, especially since the early 2000s. The United Nations Development Program, in a report published last spring, warned strongly about the drying up of this lake. The report states that 20 years ago, there were about 30 billion cubic meters of water in Lake Urmia, but it has now decreased to about 2.5 billion cubic meters. The report adds that the condition of Lake Urmia has improved somewhat in recent years, but it is still at risk of complete drying. Contrary to Iranian officials' statements that the lake is drying due to drought, the report indicates that human factors, particularly the improper construction of multiple dams on rivers feeding into this lake, have exacerbated the situation. The report further states that if the lake dries up, it could become a full-blown humanitarian and environmental disaster, similar to the Aral Sea in Central Asia. According to the UN assessment, the drying of Lake Urmia could lead to salt storms and the dispersal of a massive amount of salt over large areas surrounding the lake, which would destroy agriculture in the region and lead to the spread of many diseases, including cancer. The report also states that the sweet groundwater in surrounding areas could reach salty groundwater by drilling deeper wells, resulting in the destruction of water resources for the local population. The report adds that four years ago, the water level in Lake Urmia had reached half a billion cubic meters, which was the worst condition for the lake. The area of the lake had also decreased tenfold to 500 square kilometers, but it has now slightly increased to 2,300 square kilometers, although the water depth is very low. Sarkhosh expressed hope that winter rains would lead to a relative improvement in the lake's condition. He further stated that given the drought, if the revival plans for Lake Urmia had not been implemented on time, the lake would no longer exist. In this context, Kalantari stated that the only way to revive Lake Urmia is through foreign borrowing. A 26% decrease in rainfall has disrupted the revival program for Lake Urmia. A UN representative stated that the water level of Lake Urmia is decreasing.