Iranian official: Restoration of Lake Urmia not to be possible

The restoration of Lake Urmia will not be possible, Hojjat Jabbari, the Director General of the Environmental Protection Department at Iran’s West Azerbaijan province, said in an interview with Tasnim News agency, Report informs.

According to him, if water resource management in the agricultural sector, water collection by the Iranian Ministry of Energy and agricultural organizations remain the same, the drying process will continue.

According to the agency's observation, the northern and southern parts of Lake Urmia are on the verge of disappearing, and hopes for its revival are diminishing day by day.

It was stated that the sharp decrease in precipitation, increased evaporation, continued development of gardens and agricultural lands, and failure to implement the decisions of the Committee for the Restoration of Lake Urmia have led many experts to conclude that its restoration will not be possible: "At best, it will be our seasonal lake, with its bottom remaining moist only as a water basin that prevents dust storms."

According to the information, Lake Urmia will completely dry up by the end of summer, conditions may improve in winter.

Some experts in China believe that, as in the Great Salt Lake in the USA, salt collection in accordance with ecological standards can improve the condition of the lake to some extent and at the same time bring economic benefits.

The director general also spoke about salt production in the lake: "Salt reserves in Lake Urmia amount to 6.5 billion tons. This is considered a great potential."

Jabbari added that in summer, especially considering the increased need for salt in industry, temporary permits are issued for its collection: "This does not cause special damage to the lake. The salt reserves are so large that it would take approximately 3,000 years to deplete them with an annual salt production of 2 million tons. Therefore, there is no danger for the lake in terms of production."