By Faranak Bakhtiari

Ashk Island, a haven for Persian fallow deer

TEHRAN – The Ashk Island of Lake Urmia, which is considered one of the most important habitats of rare Persian fallow deer, has become a safe place to protect the species from extinction due to the difficult access of illegal poachers.

108 NGOs active in Lake Urmia restoration

TEHRAN – Some 108 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are working in three fields of environment, sustainable livelihood development, and surface water control with the aim of revitalizing Lake Urmia.

$152m more earmarked to Lake Urmia restoration

TEHRAN – A new budget amounting to 6.4 trillion rials (nearly $152 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) will be allocated for the Lake Urmia revival, which will be spent on completing semi-finished projects, head of the Lake Urmia Conservation Program has announced.

SDSs generated by Lake Urmia hotspots reduced by 90%

TEHRAN – After the beginning of restoration measures, the sand and dust storms (SDSs) generated by Lake Urmia hotspots has been reduced by 90 percent, even has reached zero in some critical areas, head of the Lake Urmia Restoration Program has said.

Non-revival of Lake Urmia could cause $1,000 billion loss

TEHRAN – Although Lake Urmia’s revival will cost around $1.5 billion, not implementing the revival plan would inflict a loss of $1,000 billion to the country, Issa Kalantari, chief of the Department of Environment, has said.

Drought may reverse Lake Urmia’s revival in coming years: experts

TEHRAN – Two Iranian scientists have warned that Lake Urmia’s revival trend may probably reverse over the coming years due to drought spells, though the lake has been filled mostly by the above-normal rainfall since the past crop year (September 23, 2019).

Reviving Lake Urmia hosting large flocks of flamingos

TEHRAN – Large flocks of flamingos are returning to Lake Urmia as the lake is being revived after years of dryness, ISNA reported on Thursday.

Lake Urmia to be fully revived within 7 years

TEHRAN – With the complete implementation of two water transfer projects, Lake Urmia will be completely restored by the Iranian calendar year 1406 (March 2027-March 2028), the Department of Environment (DOE) chief has announced.

Lake Urmia being revived ‘slowly, but surely’: UNDP

TEHRAN – A combination of man-made efforts and higher rainfall in recent years is “slowly, but surely reviving what was once the second largest saltwater lake in the world,” Claudio Providas, Resident Representative in Iran for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), has stated.

Measures to revive Lake Urmia ‘an example to inspire us all’: Gary Lewis

TEHRAN – Gary Lewis, director for disasters and conflicts at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), praised Iran for measures taken to revive the Lake Urmia.

Over $1b spent so far to revitalize Lake Urmia

TEHRAN – Since the beginning of the Lake Urmia Restoration Program in October 2013, a total of 4.6 trillion rials (more than $1 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials) has been spent, Masoud Tajrishi, director of the planning office of the Lake Urmia Restoration Program, has announced.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Lake Urmia in best condition over past decade

TEHRAN – About 10 years ago, Lake Urmia, northwestern Iran, began its gradual death. Photos of the country's largest saltwater lake were going viral those days, worrying every Iranian. But the lake is now experiencing its best condition over the past decade, turning back to the former glory.

Lake Urmia level rises by half a meter year on year

TEHRAN – Lake Urmia water level has increased by 50 centimeters compared to the same time last year, Farhad Sarkhosh, head of the Lake Urmia Restoration Program’s office in West Azarbaijan province, has announced.

Rainfall increases Lake Urmia level

TEHRAN – Recent rainfall has increased the level of Lake Urmia to 1,271 meters, a step closer to its ecological level of 1,274 meters.

FAO, ULRP, IRIMO have conducted a drought vulnerability and impact assessment in the Urmia Lake basin

The initial findings of a drought vulnerability and impact assessment in the Urmia Lake basin conducted to help the implementation of an integrated drought management system in the region have been further re-examined and validated by FAO and Iranian experts at Tehran.

International contribution ‘not sufficient’ for Urmia Lake restoration

TEHRAN – International contribution to revive Urmia Lake is not sufficient, as only Japan has provided an annual financial assistance amounting to $1 million since the past six years, National Wetlands Conservation Project manager, Ali Arvahi, has said.

Lake Urmia water level rises by 1 meter

TEHRAN – The level of water at Lake Urmia has increased by 1 meter in the current water year (began on September 23) compared to the same period last year.

Lake Urmia water level on the rise

TEHRAN – The level of water at Lake Urmia increased by 1.04 centimeters on Tuesday compared to the same day last year, according to the studies conducted by the Lake Urmia conservation program committee.

Safeguarding our vanishing treasure; National Park of Lake Urmia

TEHRAN – The National Park of Lake Urmia, home to several precious species and amongst 59 biosphere reserve areas, is severely threatened by many years of drought so that it needs to be restored urgently to avoid the extinction of highly adapted species.

Urmia Lake’s current condition desirable; is it temporary?

TEHRAN – Heavy rainfall doused the country this year, made many of us to forget water scarcity and dying of Urmia Lake; many believe that the crisis has already been resolved, while deputy environment chief Masoud Tajrishi told Khabaronline on Wednesday that there is not much time left to resolve the issue and “we need to act as soon as possible.’”

DOE plans to conserve Lake Urmia islands ecosystem

TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) will implement four plans on reviving the endangered ecosystem and wildlife of the Lake Urmia islands, Hamid Zohrabi, DOE deputy chief for natural environment and biodiversity directorate, announced.

‘Water level at Lake Urmia unprecedented for the past decade’

TEHRAN — The level of water at Lake Urmia, a body of water located in northwestern Iran, is unprecedented for the past 10 years, an official with West Azarbaijan province’s department of environment has said.

Salt harvesting; a way of survival for Lake Urmia

TEHRAN – The results of recent studies showed that salts encrusted the Lake Urmia’s bed are required to be extracted to prevent from reduction of water level and becoming a salt flat, deputy chief of the Department of Environment (DOE), Masoud Tajrishi, has said.

Attempts to revive Lake Urmia using technology

TEHRAN – The vice presidency for science and technology will take measures in accordance with Lake Urmia restoration utilizing technology advances, IRNA news agency reported on Wednesday.

Heavy rainfalls revive drying Lake Urmia

TEHRAN – Recent downpours causing flood that recently left many provinces of Iran submerged, have made the world’s second largest saltwater lake come back to life, as the water level of the northwestern Lake Urmia has raised dramatically.