Last June, the surface area of the Urmia Lake increased by 829 square kilometers, thanks to the two-month-long springtime showers that began pouring across the country in March, when the lake's water surface has reached 3,231 square kilometers, a doubled amount in comparison with preceding year.
Located between the provinces of East and West Azarbaijan, Urmia Lake is a closed water body fed through 21 permanent and 39 seasonal rivers.
It was Iran’s largest inland body of water less than 20 years ago; however, it began drying up in the mid-2000s. According to international statistics, the lake lost about 80% of its waterbed by 2015.
Several dams constructed near the lake have choked off the water supply from the nearby mountains, contributing to the depletion of the lake. The construction of a 15-km causeway between Urmia and Tabriz has also exerted a severe impact on the reservoir.
Now that the lake has been revived by the help of the mother nature, the officials have geared up to implement the long-awaited plans, including water transfer both from domestic and foreign bodies, in order not to let the lake dry up again.
MNA/IRN83515015