Despite decrease in rainfall in recent months and increase in density of salt, the Lake Urmia is experiencing a stable situation. Lake Urmia began shrinking in the mid-2000s due to decades of longstanding drought spells and elevated hot summer temperatures. To save the lake, Iran started a joint project with the UN Development Program (UNDP) funded jointly by the Iranian and the Japanese governments in 2013. The revival efforts focused on redirecting rivers to irrigate farmland, thus avoiding use of water from the lake and the promotion of more sustainable farming methods. West Azarbaijan Province, northwestern Iran, August 24, 2021. IRNA/Taha Asgharkhani
