MH Khanjani

Lake Urmia, a hypersaline lake in northwestern Iran, has declined drastically in size in recent decades. Despite a brief period of expansion between 2016 and 2019, thanks to increased precipitation and efforts to improve agricultural practices, in 2022 its surface area stood at 1,336 square kilometres — down from around 6,000 square kilometres in 1989. The drying of the lake has jeopardized the livelihoods of local communities and led to salt storms affecting areas up to 600 kilometres away. The regional abundance of waterbirds has also declined steeply. Human impacts, mainly dam construction, account for around 80% of the lake’s drying (Y. A. G. Ghale et al. Water Res. Mgmt 32, 325–337; 2018): of Iran’s 594 operational dams, 103 are located in the Lake Urmia basin. Globally, 3,869 dam removals were reported from 1953 to 2016 (L. Ding et al. Chin. Geogr. Sci. 29, 1–12; 2019), most in North America and Europe. However, dam construction continues in Iran. In addition to developing alternative livelihoods for local communities, Iran must draw upon global experiences and best practices to revive Lake Urmia. Strategies such as dam removal, water release and cessation of new construction could contribute to the lake’s restoration and the protection of its valuable biodiversity.