Lake Urmia, in northwest Iran, once the largest lake in the Middle East and the sixth-largest saltwater lake on Earth, is rapidly losing water and drying up. It was twice the size of Luxembourg in the 1990s, but intensified droughts and elevated summer temperatures have sped up evaporation. In addition, human factors such as building dams to store water for irrigation, increasing groundwater use by established deeper illegal wells for agricultural irrigation and a 15-kilometer-long causeway that cuts the lake in two, built in 2008, were the important factors for drying.
Lake Urmia has lost most of its water surface area in the last 2 decades. In 2015, estimates from satellite imagery showed that the lake had lost about 88 percent of its size between 2006 and 2015. By late 2017, the lake had shrunk to 10% of its former size. Currently, only 5% of the lake's water remains.
The complete loss of this lake would be tragic in many ways, from the flamingos who feed on the unique crustaceans that live in the saline waters, to the loss of biodiverse wetlands, to the damage to agriculture in the basin. If the lake dries up, not only does it damage the residents but also it would affect people living in the span of 500 km from Urmia Lake in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Iran.
In addition, the mineral crust and bottom sediments contain not only salt, but heavy toxic metals used in industry and toxic agricultural substances. As the lakebed is exposed and desiccated, these may become airborne and pose a risk to the environment and people.
With last breaths
Iran s salty Lake Urmia has shrunk rapidly during the past few decades As it grows smaller the lake grows saltier And as it grows saltier microscopic organisms are periodically turning the water striking shades of red orange and yellow Nasa says the color change is probably caused by two main groups of organisms a family of algae called Dunaliella and a family of bacteria known as Halobacteriaceae
With last breaths
A wooden pier is the only thing left of Rahmanlu port in Lake Urmia Iran When the lake was full cars queued up on the pier to load onto a ferry that cut hours off the drive time around the lake from the city of Tabriz to Urmia on the other side The port of Rahmanlu in the southeast of the lake has been abandoned after two decades of drought
With last breaths
The remains of a ferry on the dried bed of Lake Urmia Iran Tourists can go inside it to visit Travel across the lake is no longer possible due to the low water level
With last breaths
Boating was one of the visitors entertainments in Lake Urmia Iran Lake Urmia used to be a touristic destination and where ships would sail Now the water has dissipated and the entire lake is accessible by foot
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Local people use the dry area of Lake Urmia for picnics Golmankhaneh port Iran Golmankhaneh was once a main port on Lake Urmia Today it s completely dry where once was the lake In recent years most of Lake Urmia has been rendered to unusable lands
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Remains of a dilapidated dock and a ship of Sharafkhaneh port in Lake Urmia Iran Sharafkhane port has turned into a graveyard of ships following the drying up of Lake Urmia It was once one of the most beautiful and important ports of Lake Urmia
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A car tire lies in the growing salt flats of Lake Urmia Iran A large number of car tires are seen in different dry areas of Lake Urmia
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Kazem Dashi area was once one of the tourist attractions of Lake Urmia Iran Today it s completely dry where once was the lake The desertification caused by the drying of this unique lake may lead to dust storms from the lakebed and affect the air quality of the region In recent years most of Urmia Lake has been rendered to unusable lands
With last breaths
A layer of salt covers the water of Lake Urmia Iran According to environmental experts Lake Urmia has the potential to become an environmental bomb Salt storms which originate from Lake Urmia could reach Karaj and Tehran In the event of a storm spreading salt will cause a lot of financial damage to farms and gardens Eventually agriculture in the northwest of the country will face a serious threat
With last breaths
Tourists take memorial photos at Lake Urmia Iran
