Iran's Lake Urmia dries up again, threatening crisis for 5m residents
Once the largest saltwater lake in the Middle East, Lake Urmia has again dried up completely after briefly refilling earlier this spring.
Once the largest saltwater lake in the Middle East, Lake Urmia has again dried up completely after briefly refilling earlier this spring.
The lake, which received nearly one billion cubic meters of water during the winter and spring, has now evaporated, leaving behind an environmental and public health crisis for the nearly five million residents in the surrounding areas.
This marks the second time in recent years that the lake has nearly disappeared. The latest drying occurred despite seasonal efforts to replenish its water levels. Satellite imagery shows a vast white salt crust in both the northern and southern sections of the lake, a sign of extreme evaporation.
The crisis stems from a combination of prolonged droughts, overuse of water by local communities, and poorly planned dam construction along the lake's tributaries, all worsened by the government’s handling of the situation.
Experts attribute the shrinking of Lake Urmia, which has lost nearly 95 percent of its volume over the past 20 years, to excessive and illegal groundwater extraction, as well as diverting water from the once bountiful Zarrineh Rud—one of the lake’s main sources—to irrigate apple orchards.
Earlier, reports had surfaced about a change in the lake’s color. According to Lida Shojaifar, head of the Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Department of West Azarbaijan’s Environmental Protection Agency, the shift was attributed to high temperatures, increased evaporation, and heightened activity of salt-loving bacteria. Shojaifar described the phenomenon as natural and not alarming.
However, the complete drying of Lake Urmia raises concerns about the impact on local agriculture and tourism, which has already been damaged by the lake’s decline. Additionally, dust and salt storms from the lake bed now threaten the health of millions in the region.
The lake’s water level has been in steady decline for years, hitting a historic low of less than 1,270 meters in September 2023, eight meters lower than its peak level recorded in May 1995.
Despite earlier attempts to restore the lake, Arezou Ashrafizadeh, Director of the Wetlands Protection Office, warned in June that the situation remained fragile, even after seasonal water intake. "Despite adequate water intake this spring, Lake Urmia’s condition remains unstable and fragile," Ashrafizadeh said.
The drying of the lake has also reshaped its landscape. The evaporation has caused four of the lake’s southern islands to merge, forming land bridges and disrupting the habitat of local wildlife, including the Persian gazelle and Armenian wild sheep. This new landmass poses risks to both the animals and the delicate ecological balance of the lake’s former islands.
Additionally, the 1,250-meter-long Shahid Kalantari Highway, which bisects the lake, has been cited as a factor exacerbating the lake’s drying. The highway, built across the lake, divides it into northern and southern sections, potentially disrupting its natural flow and ecosystem.
Efforts to restore the lake’s water levels have thus far failed to meet expectations. Earlier plans projected that the water level would reach 1,274.1 meters by 2026. However, its fluctuating levels over the past two decades, driven by inconsistent rainfall and the management of water resources, have affected the lake's depth and topography.
Geological studies indicate that the fluctuations could also be impacting the region’s seismic activity. Two earthquakes, both with a magnitude of six, struck near Salmas in February 2020. More recently, a series of tremors hit Khoy between 2022 and 2024, coinciding with the lake’s drying out. Researchers are investigating the possible link between the seismic events and the lake’s water level changes.
A journalist, using the pseudonym Amir, told Shargh in a lengthy article on the subject that after his SIM card was deactivated, he could no longer make emergency calls and was left without any explanation. Upon inquiring with the prosecutor’s office, he was asked whether he had been previously arrested.
“They mentioned my prior arrests and limited political activity, telling me I would likely be contacted and required to sign a commitment (to desist). They said this could take up to a month,” Amir said. He also noted that all his digital services, including banking, had been disabled, upending his daily life.
This comes as Iran International reported on intensifying security measures around the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, whose death in police custody in 2022 ignited the largest ever nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic.
Another journalist, using the pseudonym Sepideh, shared with Shargh that her SIM card was deactivated in June following her posting of political content on social media. She said that after contacting the prosecutor’s office, she was compelled to delete several political posts and images of herself without a hijab and to sign a pledge. Her SIM card was then reactivated after three weeks.
A student activist, Shahram, also reported his SIM card was deactivated. Despite his efforts, he remains unaware of the specific reason for the block, suspecting the involvement of authorities.
Additionally, a journalist and writer, using the pseudonym Susan, told the daily that her SIM card was blocked for about two weeks ago without prior notice.
After reaching out to the Deputy of Cyberspace at the Prosecutor General’s Office, she was given another phone number and eventually summoned. She added that when she visited a security agency follow-up office, she was informed that her Instagram activity had been classified as “propaganda against the state,” and she would be contacted regarding her phone line or potential charges.
According to lawyer Payam Dorafshan, such actions are not new.
“Some prosecutors have issued broad directives to enforcement agents, allowing them to summon individuals by phone. If they do not comply, their bank accounts are first frozen, followed by the deactivation of their mobile services.” Dorafshan added that this practice forces citizens to comply with enforcement agencies, which act under judicial orders.
Dorafshan also pointed out that according to Iran’s legal framework, fundamental principles of fair legal proceedings, and the Islamic Penal Code, no citizen should be deprived of a fair trial process before a final ruling is issued. He said that blocking phone numbers can have far-reaching consequences, including the denial of basic civil rights and essential services like access to healthcare.
Shahla Orouji, a lawyer and member of the Central Bar Association, said that such punishments are not permitted by Iranian law.
“According to Article 36 of the Constitution, punishment must be issued by a competent court and according to the law. A judicial officer has no right to impose punishment.”
Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, journalists, students, and civil activists critical of the government have faced various forms of pressure, including arrests, torture, imprisonment, and executions. The crackdown has intensified since the nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic erupted in September 2022.
A video emerged in January showing two employees at a facility in Karaj violently assaulting a child laborer before forcibly dragging him into their vehicle.
The head of the facility and a security guard were detained, Iran's Welfare Organization, a government body said on Thursday.
"A child named Maroof, a resident foreign national, attempted to escape with a serrated knife after being locked outside a small gate while staff were tending to the yard," the organization said in a statement.
"Upon his return to the facility, security personnel sought to retrieve the knife, but the child was beaten during his attempt to flee again," it added in a statement.
Eight children were transferred to another facility, Iran's domestic media reported following the center's closure.
Iran's Welfare Organization hosts orphans and disadvantaged children, many of whom beg and work menial jobs, at centers throughout the country.
The abuse of child laborers in Iran has been a persistent rights issue in recent years as standards of living have dropped and migrant numbers have increased.
The incident followed a similar incident in November 2020, when another online video appeared to show a man coercing two child laborers working as fortune tellers to dance and expose themselves in exchange for money.
Reliable official statistics on the total number of child laborers in Iran remain elusive.
The latest official estimate on the total number of child laborers stood at around three million according to Reza Shafakhah, secretary of the children's rights committee of the human rights working group of the National Union of Bar Associations.
This figure contrasts with an earlier report from late April, in which Mohammadreza Heydarhaei, head of the Office for Social Victims at the Welfare Organization of Iran, cited the presence of 120,000 child laborers across the country.
A 2023 report indicated that 15% of the child population was engaged in labor, with at least 10% of these working children lacking access to education, depriving them of essential learning opportunities.
The primary factor driving the rise in child labor is widely attributed to "household poverty," which compels children to work in order to support their families' financial needs.
The report emphasizes that child labor is both prohibited and criminalized under international and domestic laws, placing a clear obligation on the government to take action to address the issue.
Effective monitoring and prevention of child labor remain difficult, especially in cases involving domestic work, labor in hazardous or unsupervised areas, crime such as drug trafficking, and the sexual exploitation of children.
One of the country's largest independent anti-poverty organizations reported in October 2022 that many minors were recruited to attack protesters during nationwide protests in exchange for basic food supplies.
Members and supporters of Imam Ali's Popular Student Relief Society (IAPSRS), a charity organization, alleged that authorities employed children as part of their efforts to suppress anti-government demonstrations.