Urmia Lake

Photo: Ali Hamed Haghdoust

Rescuing Lake Urmia

The catchment area of Lake Urmia with an area of 51,876 square kilometers is one of the 6 main catchment areas of the country, the process of drying up and decreasing its water level started in the late 70s and its height decreased by about 40 cm every year.In the 13th government, with the order of the president, 9 strategies to speed up the rescue of this water area and the continuation of the current process were approved with 23,000 billion Rials and the operation of restoring the lake and supplying water to it was started. This lake is supposed to reach its ecological level in the form of plans of the restoration headquarters. According to the secretary of the national working group to save Urmia lake, with the measures taken and the heavy rains and spring floods, the area of Urmia lake has increased by 560 square kilometers compared to the same period last year, and the water volume of the lake has increased by 600 million cubic meters compared to the same period last year and reached two and a half billion cubic meters.
6 months ago
Photo: Mehdi Zavar

Urmia lake cultural-sports festival

The cultural, sports and entertainment festival of Urmia Lake was held on Friday evening (April 12, 2024) in the presence of Ali Bahadori Jahormi, the government spokesman, and Mohammad Sadeq Motamedian, the governor-general of West Azerbaijan, in the area of the bridge of the lake.
7 months ago
MP raises idea for water transfer from Türkiye's Lake Van to Iran's Lake Urmia

Tehran, IRNA— Transferring water from Lake Van in Türkiye to Lake Urmia in Iran can be a win-win solution for water shortage and energy issues in the two neighboring countries, an Iranian member of parliament has suggested.
9 months ago
Photo: Ali Hamed Haghdoust

Salt extraction from Urmia Lake dried-up seabed

Environment department authorities of two provinces of East and West Azerbaijan held a briefing with reporters to discuss reports about lithium extraction from brine in Lake Urmia on January 1, 2024.
10 months ago
Iran's deputy president for environment tours Lake Urmia

Iran's deputy president and Head of Iran's Department of Environment Ali Salajegheh inspected various parts of Lake Urmia and participated in a meeting to review the environmental status of a national protected area around the Lake on August 10, 2023 during a one-day trip to West Azarbaijan province in northwest Iran. (IRNA photos/Ali Arsalani)
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Flamingos over Iran's Maharlou Lake

Situated in the Iranian southern province of Fars, Maharlou Lake hosts some species of birds including flamingos annually. (IRNA photos/ Erfan Samanfar)
Older than a year
Memorial service for IRNA, ISNA reporters

A ceremony to commemorate the 2nd death anniversary of Reihaneh Yasini, a late correspondent of IRNA News Agency, and Mahshad Karimi, who worked for the ISNA, was held on June 24, in Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery. The two lost their lives in a tragic bus accident a year ago when they were on their way to cover an event related to revitalization of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran. (IRNA photos/Marzieh Soleimani)
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3rd phase of wastewater treatment plant in Urmia

A third phase of the wastewater treatment plant in Urmia, the capital of Iran's West Azarbaijan province, was launched on June 19, 2023 to help raise the annual inflow of water to the troubled Urmia Lake by 51 million cubic meters per year. (IRNA photos, Ali Arsalani)
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Lake Urmia; Revival of a precious heritage

Water has been flowing into the troubled Lake Urmia for weeks, reviving hopes that this precious body of water in northwestern Iran will come back to life. This comes months after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited the lake and inaugurated the first phase of a major project to transfer 300 million cubic meters of water per year to the lake. Images published on May 22, 2023 show that the project has helped increase the water inflow to Lake Urmia, leading to a noticeable rise in water levels and a return of tourists to its shores. (IRNA photos/ Mohammad Mehdi Arabpour, Ali Arsalani)
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Return of life to Urmia Lake

A photo series shows the Lake of Urmia recovering from drying up after implementing the first phase of a project to transfer the water of Kanisib Dam to the lake in northwestern Iran, April 5, 2023. IRNA/Adel Bakhoda
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Official vows finalizing Urmia Lake water transfer tunnel in 2 weeks

Oroumiyeh, IRNA – أNumerous efforts are giving fruit and the tunnel project to transfer water from Kani Sib dam to Urmia Lake will be finalized within two weeks, West Azarbaijan governor said.
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Latest situation of Lake Urmia in northwest Iran

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
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15b+ tomans invested to revive Urmia Lake

Tehran, IRNA - Head of Iran’s Department of Environment (DOE) Issa Kalantari said on Monday that the Urmia Lake restoration project has absorbed over 15 billion tomans of investment in the last seven years.
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Japanese envoy content to see Urmia Lake restored

Tabriz, IRNA – Japan’s Ambassador to Tehran Kazutoshi Aikawa whose country closely cooperates with Iran on Urmia Lake expressed content on Tuesday to see the lake being restored.
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Kazem Dashi; huge rocky structure in middle of Iran's Urmia Lake

Kazem Dashi, also known as "Qala Dashi" is a large and historic rock mass in the northwest of Urmia Lake. Kazem Dashi is located in Gurchin Qaleh village, 70 km from Urmia. At different times in history, the site provided a safe haven for the surrounding villagers. Urmia, West Azarbaijan Province, Iran. May 18, 2021. IRNA/ Taha Asgharkhani.
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Urmia Lake revitalization plan by releasing Ghale Chay Dam's water

The water release plan of dams in the provinces is implemented to provide water and revitalize Urmia Lake. Accordingly, 10 million cubic meters of water releases from Ghale Chay Dam to Urmia Lake on Sunday. Tabriz, northwestern Iran. March 28, 2021. IRNA/ Maryam Yousefi
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President pleased with revival of Urmia Lake as great historical job

Tehran, Dec 31, IRNA – President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday that he was pleased with the efforts made by the Government to revive the Urmia Lake, terming it a great historical job.
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Urmia Lake

The revival of Urmia Lake (Persian Daryācheh-ye Orūmīyeh) as the first concern of the Government and the northwestern people of the country has led to the vital plans for directing water to the lake at its final stage. The album depicts some photos of the lake which is better known as 'Turquoise Solitaire of Azarbaijan' by Iranians. Lake Urmia, located between East and West Azarbaijan provinces, was once the largest salt-water lake in the Middle East. Dec 23, 2020. IRNA/ Taha Asgharkhani
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Urmia Lake revitalization in last stage

Orumiyeh, Dec 5, IRNA – Revival of Urmia Lake (Persian Daryācheh-ye Orūmīyeh) as the first concern of the Government and the northwestern people of the country has led to the vital plans for directing water to the lake at its final stage.
Older than a year