Urmia Lake dries up by 70 percent

The Urmia Lake, in the northwest of Iran, is experiencing its worst condition for the past 50 years, so that over 70 percent of its water has been dried, the Mehr News Agency reported.

The level of the lake's water has been declining since 1995, the report added.

On Oct.10, Environment Protection Organization Director Mohammad Javad Mohammadizadeh said during the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 19, 2012) about 2 billion cubic meters of water were transferred to Urmia Lake.

However, due to frequent droughts and a warmer climate in the current year, which was 2 degrees higher in comparison to previous years, there were more vaporization in the lake, Mohammadizadeh added, the Mehr News Agency reported.

He added that currently only a third of the lake is filled with water and the rest is dry.

Mohammadizadeh also stated that the organization is making efforts to convince the Energy Ministry to allow more water flow from dams into the lake.

The Urmia Lake is the third largest salt water lake on earth with a surface area of approximately 5,200 square kilometers.

Experts say construction of dams on rivers feeding the lake and also droughts have significantly decreased the annual amount of water Urmia Lake receives. They also say that the construction of a bridge across the lake has upset its ecological balance.


/Trend/