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Japan committed to environmental projects in the Urmia Lake Basin on November 27, 2025, focusing on sustainable agriculture and water use to revive the ecosystem critical for food security.
About
- Location and Type: Lake Urmia is an endorheic salt lake in northwestern Iran, situated between East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan provinces, west of the Caspian Sea in the Armenian Highlands.
- Size and Dimensions: It spans up to 6,000 km² (2,300 sq mi) at maximum extent, measures 140 km long and 70 km wide, with a maximum depth of 20 m (66 ft).
- Hydrology: Relying on rivers like Talkheh, Zarinheh, and Simineh for inflow, leading to high salinity (8-28%) from evaporation.
- Status and Significance: Recognized as a Ramsar wetland since 1975 (483,000 ha), it was once the Middle East's largest lake and Earth's sixth-largest saltwater lake, hosting about 102 islands.
- Environmental Challenges: The lake has shrunk significantly since the 1990s due to reduced inflows from dams and overuse, dropping to ~2,300 km² by 2022; Iran employs cloud-seeding for restoration.
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