May 2008, those were times when there was still a lot of water in Lake Urmia. from Urmia / Urmiah / Orumiyeh ارومیه to Tabriz, on a savari + ferry ... ****** Lake Urmia situated between East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan provinces in Iran. It is the largest lake in the Middle East and the second largest salt water lake in the world. Lake Urmia is registered as Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO and is listed as a wetland of international importance under the 1971 Ramsar Convention. Lake Urmia holds one of the world's richest bio-diversity: more than 210 species of birds, such as flamingos, pelicans, spoonbills, and gulls, as well as many species of reptiles, amphibians, mammals, such as yellow deer inhabit the lake and surrounding area. During the last decade, however, Lake Urmia has shrunk significantly and its depth has fallen by almost 7 meters. Experts believe that the drought that began in 1999, as well as surface flow diversions, groundwater extraction, and the lack of efficient water management are the main reasons. Lake Urmia holds 8 billion cubic metric tons of salt. According to experts, if the lake completely dries up, a vast amount of salt will be released into the region resulting in an ecological, agricultural, and social catastrophe not only in Azerbaijani cities of Iran but also, in neighboring countries such as Turkey, Iraq and Azerbaijan. It will force many people to abandon their villages and towns around the lake and a vast majority of the flora and fauna will be lost permanently. http://saveurmia.com

• published: 01 Dec 2013
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