Lake Urmias water volume increases by 160 mcm yryr

Lake Urmia's water volume increases by 160 mcm yr/yr

TEHRAN –According to the latest report, Lake Urmia has around 1.55 billion cubic meters of water, showing a growth of 160 million cubic meters compared to the same time last year, IRNA reported on Sunday.

Lake Urmia in the north-western West Azarbaijan province started to dry up in the 2000s. The lake is the largest in West Asia and the sixth-largest salt lake in the world with a water surface area of 5,000 to 6,000 square kilometers.

In comparison to the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year, March 2024, the water volume has grown by 330 mcm, IRNA reported.

The current level of Lake Urmia is 1270.25 meters, indicating a rise of six centimeters compared to the last year, and thirteen centimeters compared to the beginning of the current water year, September 23. 

The area of Lake Urmia is now around 1,110 square kilometers, which has expanded respectively by 90 square kilometers and 180 square kilometers compared to the last year, and the beginning of the current water year.

Precipitations have experienced a thirty-eight percent decline since the beginning of the current water year, and a thirty-two percent decrease compared to the average long-term figure. 

Effective restoration

Through a joint project led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the Government of Japan, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is going to join to promote sustainable agricultural practices and solutions for the conservation of Lake Urmia.

On December 1, 2024, the Government of Japan and UNDP signed an exchange of notes to launch “The Project for Developing Conservation Systems of Wetlands in Lake Urmia and Other Wetlands, Including

Their Surrounding Communities.” The project, which runs from 2024 to 2028, will be implemented in partnership with the Department of Environment and FAO.

Focusing on sustainable agriculture and climate-adapted livelihoods, the initiative seeks to deliver long-term benefits for local communities while preserving the biodiversity of wetlands as critical ecosystems.

Lake Urmia faces significant challenges due to the overconsumption of water resources magnified by climate change impacts, which has severely impacted its ecosystem. 

Agricultural activities in the region are increasingly vulnerable to water shortages, a situation exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Studies indicate that these climatic changes could further disrupt agrifood systems and the lake’s fragile environment in the future.

FAO with the support of the government of Japan, identified technical agricultural solutions to increase water efficiency in the agriculture sector at the Lake Urmia basin, which may be efficient in saving the internationally known biosphere reserves.

Since 1995, Lake Urmia has been shrinking due to rapid upstream agricultural expansion and climate change. These forces have pushed the precious lake to the verge of depletion and have put the region’s health, economy, environment, industry, and agriculture at risk.

Despite the efforts of the Lake Urmia Restoration Program National Committee and its focus on the Lake’s restoration since 2013, the continuation of the critical situation demonstrates that sustainability, macro and micro, management solutions should be considered as the main essence of action plans.

In a concerted effort to address the challenges facing the Lake Urmia Basin in 2016, FAO launched the “Integrated Program for Sustainable Water Resources Management in the Lake Urmia Basin,” which was funded by the Government of Japan.

Key technical outcomes of this initiative included the implementation of a water accounting plus project in the Lake Urmia Basin and the identification of water-consuming hotspots within the basin. Notably, water accounting revealed the significant contribution of irrigated and rainfed agriculture to the Lake’s total evapotranspiration, emphasizing the importance of water-saving measures for the Lake’s restoration.

MT/MG 

source: tehrantimes.com