Like Israel and Jordan’s Dead Sea, Iran has it’s own inland salty lake called Lake Urmia. Climate change and dam construction has caused its demise to about 10% of its of former glory.
Local protestors who have dared called on the government to fix it have been tied up, beaten and tortured. One trusted source I have in Iran says this is the country’s top 2 environmental “problem” to solve.
Lake Urmia before in 1998, taken by NASA
One young photographer Pedram Yazdani summarized the devastation in a photograph, above, which has just one recognition for an environmental prize by the the Atkins CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year, an international showcase for the very best in environmental photography and film.
Lake Urmia in 2011, taken by NASA
Yazdani won the prize for capturing The Salt Lake Urmia in Iran. Lake Urmia is the biggest salt lake in the Middle East, but it is now only a shadow of what it once was. This image demonstrates how dramatic impact land management decisions can be to our environment.
Continue learning more about Lake Urmia below by Youtube movies produced by Iranians.
More on Iranian Environmental Issues:
Saltier than the Dead Sea, Lake Orumiyeh is in Trouble
Iran Lacks Water Planning
Iran and Qatar Align to Help the Environment
