MP proposes water, environment, natural resources ministry

TEHRAN — MP Abbas Papizadeh has proposed creation of a new ministry for water, environment, and natural resources aiming to supervise the current trend of environmental predicaments the country is facing.

Rainfalls to the rescue: Water flows into Lake Urmia

Following the recent spring rainfalls water has flowed into Lake Urmia, the “the turquoise solitaire of Azarbaijan”.

Water flow to Lake Urmia drops by 400mcm yr/yr: environment chief

TEHRAN — Water flow to Lake Urmia, northwestern Iran, has decreased by 400 million cubic meters year on year, chief of the Department of Environment (DOE) has said.

Water transfer won’t revive Lake Urmia: official

TEHRAN — Water transfer won’t restore Lake Urmia, Hedayat Fahimi, an official with the Ministry of Energy has said, noting that promoting sustainable agriculture is the way to save the lake.

By Mohammad Ali Haqshenas

Salt mining in Lake Urmia: Opportunity vs. threat

The dryness of Lake Urmia in recent decades has revealed great salt reserves in its bed. Estimations for the amount of salt in the lake varies from 6 to 10 billion tons. That’s certainly a great potential for mining and has already tempted some individuals to extract some salt, however, there are different views on salt mining in the region.

Lake Urmia, habitat of some 35,000 flamingos

TEHRAN – Some 35,000 migratory flamingos are now living in Lake Urmia and the seasonally-flooded wetlands in the region, said an official with West Azarbaijan province’s department of environment.

‘Without restoration plan, Lake Urmia would have been fully drained by now’

TEHRAN – If there had not been any plan to restore Lake Urmia, it would have been completely drained by now, Department of Environment chief Isa Kalantari said on Wednesday.

Lake Urmia water level increases

TEHRAN – The level of water in Lake Urmia, northwestern Iran, has increased thanks to releasing of water from dams and also good precipitation in the region.

Cultivating sugar beet and rice hinders wetlands restoration programs

TEHRAN – Cultivating water intensive products including sugar beet and rice has been banned in some regions as they were not in line with plans for reviving wetlands, an official with wetland ecosystems division at Department of Environment has said.

Ramsar to host World Wetlands Day ceremony

TEHRAN — Iran will mark the World Wetlands Day in a ceremony which is scheduled to be held in the northern city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Lake Urmia depletion will cause great discomfort

TEHRAN – The total dryness of Lake Urmia will have a large negative impact on the health and livelihood of local communities and even beyond.

JICA pledges $7m to address Tehran’s air pollution

TEHRAN — The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has pledged $7 million to tackle the everlasting air pollution in the metropolis of Tehran, IRIB reported on Monday.

Grape festival time in northwest Iran

TEHRAN – The fifth grape festival of Iran kicks off today in Urmia, the capital of West Azarbaijan province, with variety of parades, exhibits of grapes and grape products planned.

By Maryam Qarehgozlou

Budget deficit could delay Lake Urmia’s revival: environment chief

TEHRAN — Lake Urmia is already saved from total dryness, however, budget deficit might postpone the lake’s full restoration, the chief of the Department of Environment said on Monday.

New environment chief warns of ‘disastrous’ water scarcity

TEHRAN — Water scarcity is Iran’s major concern and the situation is ‘disastrous’, the newly-appointed environment chief Isa Kalantari said on Monday.

Kalantari appointed new environment chief

TEHRAN — President Hassan Rouhani in a decree on Sunday appointed Isa Kalantari as the vice president and the new chief of the Department of Environment.

Migrating flamingos opt to stay in reviving Lake Urmia

TEHRAN — Some 10,000 flamingos have stayed in Lake Urmia national park this year instead of migrating as better ecological conditions in the biosphere reserve are already satisfying their needs.

Deputy FM follows up on Lake Urmia restoration

TEHRAN — Deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs Abbas Araqchi traveled on Wednesday to West Azarbaijan province to follow up on Lake Urmia restoration programs, IRIB reported.

Iranian, Japanese experts to look into crippling dust storms in Khuzestan

TEHRAN — A delegation of Iranian and Japanese experts will travel on Monday to Khuzestan province, southwestern Iran, to look into the issue of dust storms which has been turned into a predicament in the region.

By Erik Solheim and Gary Lewis

A resurrection in the Middle East: Life has returned to a dying salt lake in northwest Iran

Lake Urmia was once the second largest saltwater lake in the world. But years of man-made disruption — from 60 years of dam building to the massive overuse of feeder rivers — has diverted the natural flow of sweet water from the surrounding basin into the salty lake.

UNEP’s Solheim offers Iran help to address dust storms

TEHRAN — United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Executive Director Erik Solheim has posted two videos on his Instagram account addressing the people of Khuzestan, southwestern Iran, who have sought help for the recurrent sand and dust storms in the region.

Budget deficit could do irreparable damage to Lake Urmia

TEHRAN — Officials in charge of Lake Urmia restoration program have said the government has not allocated budget to the project in the next Iranian calendar year (March 2017-March 2018) and this could do irreparable damage to the lake’s restoration program.

Govt. allots $205m to Lake Urmia restoration

TEHRAN — The cabinet of ministers has allocated some 8.2 trillion rials (nearly $205 million) to Lake Urmia restoration projects, IRIB reported on Wednesday.