Lake Urmia

Total:53

  • Lake Urmia’s area shrinks due to low rainfall 2025-04-05 15:10

    Lake Urmia’s area shrinks due to low rainfall

    TEHRAN – The area of Lake Urmia has declined due to reduced precipitations, reaching 1,140 square kilometers on April 4 compared to 1,350 square kilometres on the same day last year.

  • Lake Urmia’s water volume increases by 80 mcm 2025-03-08 15:40

    Lake Urmia’s water volume increases by 80 mcm

    TEHRAN –According to the CEO of West Azarbaijan regional water company, the volume of water in Lake Urmia has risen by 80 million cubic meters compared to the same time last year, reaching 1,630 billion cubic meters.

  • Lake Urmia's water volume increases by 160 mcm yr/yr 2025-02-23 15:05

    Lake Urmia's water volume increases by 160 mcm yr/yr

    TEHRAN –According to the latest report, Lake Urmia has around 1.55 billion cubic meters of water, showing a growth of 160 million cubic meters compared to the same time last year, IRNA reported on Sunday.

  • 55 smuggled artifacts returned from Türkiye unveiled at Urmia Museum 2025-02-08 18:30

    55 smuggled artifacts returned from Türkiye unveiled at Urmia Museum

    TEHRAN - A special exhibition showcasing 55 smuggled Iranian artifacts recently returned from Türkiye has been inaugurated at the Urmia Museum of Archaeology.

  • Lake Urmia's rising level underscores effective restoration 2025-01-29 15:26

    Lake Urmia's rising level underscores effective restoration

    TEHRAN –Satellite images show that the level of Lake Urmia basin, measured on January 24, has increased from 1,270.05 meters to 1,270.13 meters, and the volume of the lake has risen by 0.19 billion cubic meters, reaching 1.24 billion cubic meters, compared to the same day last year.

  • FAO participates in project to support Lake Urmia Restoration 2024-12-06 14:25

    By Mehdi Garshasbi

    FAO participates in project to support Lake Urmia restoration

    TEHRAN – Through a joint project led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the Government of Japan, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will join to promote sustainable agricultural practices and solutions for the conservation of Lake Urmia.

  • Archaeologists uncover ancient iron production site south of Lake Urmia 2024-12-03 18:25

    Archaeologists uncover ancient iron production site south of Lake Urmia

    TEHRAN - For the first time, archaeologists have discovered a historic iron production site in the Vesta Sheikh area south of Lake Urmia, northwest Iran.

  • UNDP welcomes new contribution from Japan to strengthen wetland management, climate resilience in Iran 2024-12-01 13:00

    UNDP welcomes contribution from Japan to strengthen wetland management, climate resilience in Iran

    TEHRAN – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Islamic Republic of Iran has received a generous contribution of JPY 690,000,000 from the Government of Japan to enhance wetland management and strengthen climate resilience in Lake Urmia, Shadegan, Parishan, and Anzali wetlands.

  • Lake Urmia’s water volume, level grow yr/yr 2024-11-08 14:53

    Lake Urmia’s water volume, level grow yr/yr

    TEHRAN—Lake Urmia is currently in better condition in terms of level and volume of water compared to last year, an official with West Azarbaijan governor general's office has said.

  • Armenian group visits historical sites in northwest Iran 2024-10-07 17:18

    Armenian group visits historical sites in northwest Iran

    TEHRAN - A group of Armenian nationals recently visited historical and religious sites in West Azarbaijan province as part of a familiarization tour organized by the provincial Department of Cultural Heritage and Tourism.

  • Urartu-era cuneiform inscription vandalized in northwest Iran 2024-09-16 17:58

    Urartu-era cuneiform inscription vandalized in northwest Iran

    TEHRAN - Treasure hunters have vandalized an ancient cuneiform inscription and Iron Age cemetery in East Azarbaijan province, northwest Iran.

  • Satellite image showing Lake Urmia shades of red and orange 2024-08-25 14:38

    Satellite image showing Lake Urmia shades of red and orange

    TEHRAN – The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite recently captured a transition in the color of Lake Urmia between April and July 2016.

  • Lake Urmia hosting migratory grey cranes, flamingos 2024-08-20 15:29

    Lake Urmia hosting migratory grey cranes, flamingos

    TEHRAN –The first flocks of migratory grey cranes and flamingos have been spotted in satellite wetlands of Lake Urmia, northwestern West Azarbaijan province, an official with the provincial department of environment, has said.

  • Lake Urmia’s water volume increases by 1bcm yr/yr 2024-08-10 16:37

    Lake Urmia’s water volume increases by 1bcm yr/yr

    TEHRAN –Despite the unprecedented increase in air temperature and water evaporation in summer, Lake Urmia has one billion cubic meters more water compared to the same period last year, an official with the provincial Department of Environment has said.

  • Excavation sheds new light on Mannai culture 2024-08-02 17:17

    Excavation sheds new light on Mannai culture

    TEHRAN – A recent archaeological work has shed new light on the Mannai civilization, which flourished in northwestern Iran in the 1st millennium BC.

  • Wetland being restored after 25 years 2024-06-17 16:11

    Wetland being restored after 25 years

    TEHRAN – Having been dried up for nearly 25 years, the Dargah Lotfollah wetland, located in Naqadeh county, northwestern West Azarbaijan province, is being revived, an official with the provincial department of environment has said.

  • Ancient artistry: the enduring legacy of Nazok-Kari in Urmia 2024-05-05 17:34

    Ancient artistry: the enduring legacy of Nazok-Kari in Urmia

    TEHRAN - Nazok-Kari is an ancient craft being practiced in Urmia, in northwest Iran.

  • Lake Urmia festival held to celebrate revival 2024-04-13 15:26

    Lake Urmia festival held to celebrate revival

    A cultural and recreational festival was held on Friday on the shores of Lake Urmia with the participation of people from all walks of life to celebrate the relative revival of the Lake thanks to recent precipitations.

  • Lake Urmia’s area expands to 1500 sq. km 2024-04-12 14:48

    Lake Urmia’s area expands to 1500 sq. km

    TEHRAN – Thanks to a 43 percent increase in precipitation, the area of Lake Urmia basin has reached 1,500 square kilometers.

  • Lake Urmia’s area expands year on year 2024-04-01 15:06

    Lake Urmia’s area expands year on year

    TEHRAN –Satellite images show that the area of Lake Urmia measured on February 22 was equal to 2,061 square kilometers which has increased compared to 1,819 square kilometers on March 7, 2023.

  • Can technical solutions of Japan-funded FAO project restore Lake Urmia? 2024-03-10 14:41

    By Mehdi Garshasbi

    Can technical solutions of Japan-funded FAO project restore Lake Urmia?

    TEHRAN – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with the support of the government of Japan, identified technical agricultural solutions to increase water efficiency in the agriculture sector at the Lake Urmia basin, which may be efficient in saving the internationally known biosphere reserves.

  • Heat islands in Lake Urmia aggravate low rainfall: expert 2024-01-20 15:10

    Heat islands in Lake Urmia aggravate low rainfall: expert

    TEHRAN – The current drought and the severe aridity in Lake Urmia have created heat islands that intensify the heat and make the situation of low rainfall even more aggravated.

  • Disturbing dryness of Lake Urmia 2024-01-08 17:52

    photo: Hossein Sadri

    Disturbing dryness of Lake Urmia

    Lake Urmia, in the northwest of the country, began shrinking in 1995 due to a combination of prolonged drought, and the extraction of water for farming and dams. At its greatest extent, it was the largest lake in West Asia and the sixth-largest saltwater lake on Earth. Unfortunately, the lake has for the most part transformed into a vast, dry salt flat. Salt storms have reduced the productivity of the surrounding agricultural lands, endangering the health of people in the region, as well as aquatic animals such as brine shrimp "Artemia" and some migratory birds such as pelicans and flamingos.

  • Salt harvest from Lake Urmia 2024-01-02 14:58

    Salt harvesting from Lake Urmia

    Drying of parts of Lake Urmia has exposed to salt domes in various areas of the lake.

  • Rainfall down by 40% in Lake Urmia basin 2023-12-25 14:52

    Rainfall down by 40% in Lake Urmia basin

    TEHRAN –The amount of precipitation in Lake Urmia basin has decreased by 40 percent in the long term.

  • Turkish travel insiders visit Iran on fam tour 2023-12-20 17:48

    Turkish travel insiders visit Iran on fam tour

    TEHRAN – On Wednesday, a group of Turkish travel insiders started a familiarization tour of attractions in Iran’s West Azarbaijan province.

  • Finland ready to contribute to Lake Urmia revival 2023-11-24 14:52

    Finland ready to contribute to Lake Urmia revival

    TEHRAN –Finland's ambassador to Iran, Kari Kahiluoto, has announced his country’s readiness to cooperate in the restoration of Lake Urmia.

  • Water transfer from Lake Van to Lake Urmia on agenda 2023-09-19 15:49

    Water transfer from Lake Van to Lake Urmia on agenda

    TEHRAN - Research and academic studies are being carried out on transferring water from Lake Van in Turkey to help revive Lake Urmia which has been drying up in recent years, MP Mohammad-Reza Mirtajeddini has said.

  • Financial aid to restore Lake Urmia not affected by sanctions: UNDP rep 2023-09-17 15:55

    Financial aid to restore Lake Urmia not affected by sanctions: UNDP rep

    TEHRAN- Claudio Providas, the UNDP resident representative in Iran, has said that sanctions have had no effect on providing financial support to protect Iran's wetlands and revive Lake Urmia, in particular.

  • Seoul’s envoy tours attractions in northwest Iran 2023-08-26 22:47

    Seoul’s envoy tours attractions in northwest Iran

    TEHRAN – Seoul’s ambassador to Tehran Yun Kang-hyeon has paid visits to several tourist attractions in Urmia, northwest Iran.