I think somebody does not like Iranians as they keep brining things up that is the least of the problem for the Iranians and the outside world as of today.

Iran's lake,Iran's problem.

Looks like a good place for nuclear weopons testing

@MarkoTobias

Iran's lake,Iran's problem.

Iran's oooooiiiiillll, whose problem!!!!!!!!!!!

What about the Aral sea? That is a real environmental disaster zone much worse than this Iranian lake.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aral_Sea

Sad to see more anti-Iranian propaganda in the Guardian. How about a positive story about Iran for a change?

I don't think the Iranian government , for the most part, cares what non-Iranians have to say. It's sad b/c this lake is obviously part of a heritage of a people.

And the point of this article is? Iran scoffs at the world trying to stop it building nuclear weapons so I really don't think anyone is going to bother trying to pressure them regarding the drying up of a lake.

@1000nights.

Irans oil,Iran's wealth:).

I fully support reducing our dependency oil and seeking green renewable energy as a alternative.

How short sighted can the West be? This IS your problem. The Iranian population are against everything this government does.

We have been kidnapped by a group of terrorists and killers for 32 years now. The west closed it's eyes to Nazi Germany too. And it paid dearly for it. How much will it have to pay for an Atomic Islamic Republic?

Help the people of Iran, because they are helpless.

This is an excellent article! As a former resident of Orumieh, I would like to thank the author for posting it and drawing attention to this imminent environmental calamity that will not only affect Northern Iran, but Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia and Iraqi Kurdistan.

With all due respect to the author, however, I do believe you have downplayed how much of an issue this is to the ethnic Azerbaijani population (the term "Azeri" is now being used pejoratively in the country). If you look at the protesters, the were also chanting things like "if Azerbaijan doesn't wake up, it will lose" and "long live Azerbaijan".

For the Azerbaijanis, this is just another on the list of injustices by the Islamic Republic done to the local population. Granted Azerbaijanis fare much better in Iran due to their sheer size than many other ethnic minority groups (Ahwazi Arabs, Balochis, Kurds, Lurs, Turkmen, Qashqai etc.) Azerbaijanis still maintain a long list of grievances with the government. First and foremost is their lack of standard education and media rights in their own native tongues, Azerbaijani-Turkic. The language has been banned in schools for decades and this policy has serious detrimental affects on cohesion of the Iranian state, the opposite of what was intended. Any Azerbaijani activist that blogs or protests in favor of these basic human rights is jailed, tortured and on occasion, executed.

The local population is growing angry by the government's inaction. In one of the parliamentary sessions to address the problems with the lake, one parliamentarian even suggested that the government spend money moving the residents surrounding the lake, rather than spending money to revive it. That angered lots of people.

Again, hats off to the author for drawing attention to this issue. The only solution to saving the lake is persuading the government to allow more water to flow from the 35 dams on the tributaries feeding into the lake.

Ernekid, you bring up a good point. The goal here is to try to prevent Lake Urmia from becoming the next Aral Sea.

1000nights

I think somebody does not like Iranians as they keep brining things up that is the least of the problem for the Iranians and the outside world as of today.

I look at it differently. I see that the Human rights record of the existing Mad Mullah regime is far more important to me than a salt lake drying up.

Thanks Mr Potkin for your good article.

@HerbertH Would you care if the Mad Mullah Regime was profiting from the 35 dams built that feed into the tributaries of the lake? Or what if the drying of the Lake affected 14 million people in the region? When hypersaline lakes dry up, it becomes quite dangerous to the surrounding populations. Strong winds have the capability of carrying up to 10 billion cubic metric tons of salt into the atmosphere. That could seriously affect the health of millions, crops would be destroyed, and one of the most beautiful regions on Earth could be drastically affected.

First, as others have said, this is Iran's issue and does not rise to an international concern in any manner ...

This lake is simply not that important an environmental asset due to its extreme salinity. In contrast to the much more important Aral Sea, for example, there are no fish species native to the lake. The most important factors why the lake has been shrinking recently seem to be water diversions for farming and the recent multi-year drought. If the country has decided that agricultural, water, and food security concerns are more vital that the size of this lake, they would seem to me to be well within their rights to do so.

All this of course says nothing about the govt's apparent poor response to local and environmental concerns raised. That is another internal issue which will hopefully be settled by the people of Iran over time.

@HerbertH

Very true and I agree with you.

If Iran has 100 problems today that would matter to Iranians and non Iranians for whatever reason, the salt lake would be between 90 and 100 in the order of 100 being less urgent, therefore, I think the timing of this article is rather ........iffy............!

I think if Iran had no other problems today, then perhaps it would be interesting to hear some experts' comments on lakes etc. but this I am afraid is not the kind of subject to bring up in the middle of other issues about the ME such as BAHA, Libya and Syria like pretending Iran does not have other serious problems to deal with.

We used to think that way about the Aral Sea, now look at it.

Yesterday, this site reported that 3 young men were executed by the regime in Iran on the bases of being gay or their sexual activities without giving anybody a chance to make comments so that the Iranians may find out what the world thinks of their Sharia laws in 2011.

Honestly, the lake is important but there are other issues that need to be addressed sooner!!!!

Please give us a chance to make comments on issues like human rights in Iran.

This is like one article on that bazillion articles written about Iran. You're saying this issue shouldn't have a voice? The salt bowl from this lake has the potential to affect 14 million people.

And what about the 60+ protesters that were arrested in the past couple of weeks because hey were protesting in favor of reviving Lake Urmia? They don't get a voice? Or the dozens injured in the protests?

@UrmuFarzin

Women like Ms. Ashtiani in North West Turk part of Iran are waiting to be told if they are going to be stoned or not, do you think I care about salt lake at this moment?

You have seen how people around the world were united against stoning of Ms. Ashtiani, we care about issues from other countries.

Look, I have advocated for her release too. I have blogged about it, I am heavily involved in human rights in Iran. The thing is, that I don't think that it is I think all of the issues should receive some kind of recognition. This is the 21st century, the age of information, doesn't this issue deserve recognition. Millions of people might be displaced because of the lake, some might even die due to respiratory problems, we don't know. What we do know is that the salt that is blown throughout the region will affect people's livelihoods, their farms, their health, and their attachment to the beautiful scenery of Northern Iran. Which brings me to my next point, this issue not only affects Iran, but Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Yes, the world knows about Ms. Sakineh Ashianti and that is a great thing, because it postponed her execution. If we have the same kind of recognition for the THIRD LARGEST SALT LAKE IN THE WORLD, we can prevent an environmental disaster. This is a regional problem, not just one for Iran.

@UrmuFarzin

This article is important but it was a repeat of the same subject for the 2nd time in one week with the same photo. The other one was by Mr. Kamali:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/05/iran-greens-lake-orumieh-shrinks

That is why I felt it was too much for the same subject in one week among many other issues of higher or same if you like, priority. No offense was intended.

I assume Iran doubts the real motives of the protester and to whom they may be reporting.

My mistake, two articles. Anyhow, big thanks to the author for writing. One thing that makes Iran what it is, is the breathtaking scenery. Let's hope it doesn't get destroyed.

Very good article, Potkin. I saw some of the videos of people demonstrating this issue in Tabriz. Some say when the Azaries decide to protest this government, the rest of Iran will follow. I wonder if these demonstrations get larger what they might turn in to.

I do not want people to be hurt. But I do want this government to go.

This is a time for all Iranians to be in one team and fight together for one goal.

we love our country

This is an excellent article. I am particularly happy that that the writer is reaching out to the green and environmental movements in the West on this issue and sincerely hope they respond. The certainly should do. I'm a bit shocked by some of the comments though. A lake is not just decoration. It is the livelihoods of a great many Iranians. It is no coincidence that the people most affected are Azeris, the people of Azerbaijan, and also Kurds - they too live in this area in significant numbers. That they are Iranian 'ethnic minorities' does not mean that they are not Iranians. They most emphatically are Iranians. That they are poor, in the main, does not mean that they just don't matter. They do. You cannot separate people from land, particularly when the people concerned are dependent on that land. The destruction of Lake Orumieh is profoundly an issue of human lives and human rights. It is no coincidence that the protesters in this area have been savagely attacked by government forces just as protesters in Tehran, Esfahan, Shiraz, Yazd and many other cities were and still are. The comparison the Aral Sea is precisely the point. Allowing the Orumieh Lake to dry out will have a catastrophic effect on the population of the area, exactly as that destruction of the Aral Sea has had.

:(((

@ MarkoTobias
In your profile I can see you've stated that you are a environmental activitist!!!
It's not just Iran's problem. If the lake with million tons of salt dies, echo-system of the region would be imbalanced which results salt storms. Sorry for you that you think about your problems only!

@ MarkoTobias

It seems that you're Mexican. If yes have you forgotten the Gulf of Mexico oil spill? It was in mexico's waters, but you expected that everyone(other than yourselves) helps to clean it. All you did was just suing BP and fixing deadlines!!!

how can Cameron even contemplate reducing UK tax rates when there's a salt lake, in Iran, that somebody once liked, as a child?!?

The Orumieh Lake is dying and nobody can stop it and it`s so terrible ...

.
The effects of this disaster threaten the life of the people who live in this area and even it threatens the eco system of the countries in the neighborhood and they will face with air pollution and dry seasons. And all these will destroy the farms and nature around.
Great article. thanks.

Hang on, confused here, I thought the UK under the "condems" was the worst hell hole on earth? Surely there must be a poster to pop up and explain how an outbreak of a type of seaweed off the coast of Scarborough or a slight reduction in the varieties of newts in Rutland is really much worse and a climate catastrophe personally instigated by Cameron himself compared to this Iranian affair?

this thing is really sad!we iranian people love our country,but our government!who knows what they care about!heh!!!!!!!!!but there is nothing u guys can do about it!i mean come on,they kill,they ruin people's life,no one can beat them!

viva orumieh Lake ..... orumiah lake must be survive .

@saghar1347 and others from Iran who have commented:

How short sighted can the West be? This IS your problem. The Iranian population are against everything this government does.

We have been kidnapped by a group of terrorists and killers for 32 years now. The west closed it's eyes to Nazi Germany too. And it paid dearly for it. How much will it have to pay for an Atomic Islamic Republic?

Help the people of Iran, because they are helpless.

This is so sad and you have my heartfelt sympathy. But in "the West" we are damned if we do something and damned if we don't. If we do nothing, there are accusations of indifference (I don't mean you personally, but people of our political class). On the other hand, if we try to help, we are accused of imperialism, interventionism, war-mongering and being concerned only with oil.

"We" really can't win. I am genuinely sorry for how you feel.

Everyone should be bothered about the destruction of nature, since it's only right, and in one way or another, it usually winds up being everyones problem. Here we see the kind of water depletion which might send a country to war. Fossil aquifers are not limitless either. In America, fossil water is running out fast, also in and the Middle East China.

Good luck to the Iranians in saving this beautiful place.

Irans government needs to sort this but like most of todays governments they lack real 'peoples' leaders. Time this planet sorted itself out for the benefit of every creature that inhabits the planet and not just the greedy selfish human race that is heading for mass extintion.

I am quite frankly amazed by the crass nature of some of the comments here, which somehow manage to contrive political or other polemical reasons for discussing this article.

Look at the picture. Awful. Read what Azarmehr says. This is a tragedy and the rest is irrelevant. Period.

Lets just bobmb the dams. Simples.

I am very worried for the Iranians and their neighbors as their country is home to very devastating earthquakes but they have started building nuclear power plants with the help of the same people who sold them airplanes after the revolution and few of them have crashed.

This is clearly a huge loss to the region and its people - as well as the wildlife.

As the Aral Sea shrank more and more salt was lifted and blown by the wind - causing harm to new borns and young children - creating not only health disasters but destroying communities and livelihoods.

Until absolute sovereignty of nations is challenged in areas which effect populations and ways of life it is difficukt to see what can be done.

All nations are selective in aid giving and sharing of expertise and resources. Short sighted policies, unresponsive gvts. and ill advised developments are causing havoc in many places and disrupting the lives of millions.

Mankind is very good at congratulating ourselves on our intelligence and our creativity - why then do we fail often ?

Leni

So, a whole bunch of commenters here who think they know better than the authorities at hand whether or not extremely typical land and water development strategies should be followed, eh?

And this IS very typical stuff. As a minor example, thousands of dams have been built in thirsty California (and the rest of the western US) in this past century, nurturing the most fertile and profitable farmland in the world. Have rivers been harmed? Yes, the once mighty San Joaquin river which used to support salmon runs is dry most summers! The Colorado River does not reach the Gulf of California, ruining habitat much more productive and diverse than the lake in question. But the price was deemed worthwhile for human benefit, growth and advancement.

So may this lake run dry and may environmental harm happen because of it? Of course it may. Apparently, the authorities in charge of the country's resources feel that the price is worth the benefit of the water diversions. Who are we to tell them differently?

http://www.payvand.com/news/11/aug/1273.html

Lots of pics and some information.

L

capatriot

the dangers to health of the people in the immediate and surrounding areas is threatened by the possibility - probability- of thousands of tons of wind blown salt and other chemicals.

Depending upon prevailing winds this could impact on neighbouring countries. This is why absolute sovereignty in decision making should sometimes be challenged. Cross border water issues are serious in several parts of the world - decisions made and implemented by one gvt, can seriously damage their neighbours.

Leni

iot who thinks losing a lake (anywhere in the world) due to mismanagement of the state is "OK", needs their head examined.

Lake Rezaieyeh (It was renamed to it's current name after the Islamic vulturous Islamisism started back in 1979 in Iran) is not only a key part of the eco system, it is also a major source of income for thousands of people.

Mismanagement of this lake, leading to it's recession is nothing short of criminal.

Any idiot who thinks losing a lake (anywhere in the world) to mismanagement by the state is "OK", needs their head examined.

Lake Rezaieyeh (It was renamed to it's current name after the Islamic vulturous Islamisism started back in 1979 in Iran) is not only a key part of the eco system, it is also a major source of income for thousands of people.

Mismanagement of this lake, leading to it's recession is nothing short of criminal.