Iran saw more protests and demonstrations this weekend as green activists call for the protection of the UNESCO-listed salt lake Orumieh

Undeterred by the repressive reaction of the Iranian government- who beat up and violently dispersed environmental protestors a week ago– campaigners gathered again in their thousands this Saturday to call for the protection of the shrinking salt lake Orumieh. Located in north-west Iran, the lake is a UNESCO biosphere reserve and is believed to be one of the largest salt lakes in the world. However, its survival is under threat due to government mismanagement and drought which has led to the halving of its surface area – some experts fear that it could dry out completely in the next few years if nothing changes and efforts to conserve the lake don’t materalise.

Over the last couple of weeks Iranians have gathered in Tabriz and Orumieh in their thousands to protest the slow disappearance of Lake Orumieh, which is crucial to agriculture and tourism in the region. On Saturday, the protesters gathered again and security forces on motorcycles clashed with them, arresting scores of peaceful environmental campaigners.

The Guardian reported that Farank Farid, a prominent women’s rights activist, was among the protesters currently held in custody according to the committee of human rights reporters in Iran. Amateur videos posted on sites such as Youtube also show what appears to be riot police attacking the peaceful protestors on Saturday.

Tabriz and Orumieh are located in Iran’s Azerbaijan region, home to the country Azeri ethnic minority who campaigners state have been marginalised by the government. Indeed, locals claim that Revolutionary Guards are responsible for the shrinking lake levels due to their damming policies which mean that there are currently 36 dams built on the river leading up to lake Orumieh.

Officials in Iran insist that the falling lake levels are due to drought, rising temperatures and climate change.

Speaking to Khabaronline, a news website, an MP for the city of Orumieh, said: “In my view, the issue [of Lake Orumieh] should not be seen as a security issue and it should not be politicised. It is a social and environmental issue which we can rescue and it can be solved by the human.”

He added: “Out of 100 people who come and visit me, 99 of them ask about Lake Orumieh, which shows it has become a sensitive issue for them. People follow the lake’s fate, how can I stay silent and ignore their demands regarding an issue which shows their interest in the environment?”

Indeed it appears that the struggle to protect the lake has captured the imagination of the average Iranian with slogans calling for its protection heard at football matches. Protestors are now planning to continue their protests at a Friday football match in Tehran’s Azadi stadium, which can hold up to 100,000 people.

: Guardian

: Image via Pitorbal/Picasa.

For more on environmental issues in Iran see:

Police Beat, Tie-Up, and Fire On Citizens Protesting Dying Ramsar Protected Lake in Iran

Iran Lacks Water Planning

Iran Quit Dirty Energy Subsides And Survived

Water And The Middle East At A Glance

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Like the Dead Sea, Lake Orumiyeh has shrunk to half its former glory. And the creatures that used to call it home have sought solace elsewhere, as the lake becomes increasingly saline. Located in the northwest province of West Azerbaijan providence, Lake Orumiyeh is part of the world’s largest saltwater wetlands, according to the Financial Times, but both drought and irrigation projects risk drying it up altogether. If this happens, it will leave behind an enormous and dangerous reservoir of salt.

One resident of Ghoschi, a town located astride the lake, claims that flamingos used to call out six or seven times a day, but now they are no longer there. And the brine shrimp on which they fed have disappeared completely.

Nearly 70% of waterfowl species have disappeared while the former shore is now a “salt-strewn desert.”

Environmentalists claim that an extended drought accounts for nearly 70% of the lake’s loss, but the rest is attributed to irrigation projects that are used to cultivate 1.4 million hectares of agricultural land.

Residents worry that like the Aral Sea, the lake will dry up completely, leaving behind up to 10 billion tonnes of salt that could potentially cause storms that would travel as far as Tehran. Up to 13 million people could be displaced.

“If, God forbid, Lake Orumiyeh completely dries up, we will be facing 8bn-10bn tonnes of salt which could function like a monster bomb,” Hassan Abbasnejad, director-general of the Environment Protection Organization of West Azerbaijan, told the Financial Times.

Environmentalists say that this should not be a political issue, but Azeris living in the region believe that a recent bridge project, which links the eastern and western parts of Azerbaijan province, is part of a conspiracy to allow the lake to disappear, thereby pushing the Azeri population elsewhere. Earlier this year, they protested the bridge by carrying bottles of water. Many were and continue to be jailed.

President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad has approved a $1.7 billion plan to restore the lake over the next five years by adjusting irrigation channels and redistributing water. The government also intends to seed clouds, though we have just learned that experts believe that praying for rain is more effective.

Mr. Abbasnejad told the paper that they would water the lake with blood, if necessary, that it was a “holy duty” to ensure that it survives.

Update in 2023, Lake Urmia goes dry in August

Lake Urmia (Persian: دریاچه ارومیه‎, theDaryache-ye Orumiye, Azerbaijani Urmu gölü, Kurdish Wermy, Armenian: Կապուտան ծով, Kaputan ts’ov; ancient name: Lake Matiene) is a salt lake in northwestern Iran near Iran’s border with Turkey. Like the Dead Sea in Israel and Jordan, and Aral Lake in Iraq we could lose this lake forever if we don’t take action today.

Image via Financial Times

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