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UN expresses willingness to cooperate with Iran to prevent Lake Orumiyeh from drying up

22 October 2013 08:22 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Real Jafarli – APA. The United Nations expressed its willingness to cooperate with Iran to prevent Lake Orumiyeh from drying up.

On October 20, UNDP Resident Representative in Tehran Gary Lewis sent a letter to Head of the Iranian West Azerbaijan Province's Environment Organization Hassan Abbasnejad in this regard, APA reports quoting IRIB. The letter says that Lake Orumiyeh is not only national heritage: “This lake belongs to the world. Therefore, future generations will decide which methods will be used to eliminate the environmental crisis in Lake Orumiyeh.”

Gary Lewis said they are ready to enhance cooperation between UNDP and Iran's Environmental Protection Organization to protect the Iranian lakes: “The only way out of the current situation around Lake Orumiyeh is the detailed management of water basins of the lake.”

Lake Orumiyeh is located between Iran’s East and West Azerbaijan provinces. The lake covers approximately 6 000 square meters area. Over the last 50 years, 70 percent of the lake has completely dried up and salted. Its water level began to decline since 1995. The area of Lake Orumiyeh strongly reduced and the water around 5 islands completely dried up. Experts have repeatedly warned about salt storms threatening the health of people, as well as economy.