Solmaz’s grandfather ran a lakefront hotel in the tourist port city of Sharafkhaneh — the city where Solmaz spent his childhood in. During summers, he would spend his days on the shore of the salt lake Urmia, the largest lake in the Middle East, and the sixth-largest salt lake on the planet. But things changed when the lake dried up. Tourism and agriculture in that town suffered. But it wasn’t the only town that suffered; other towns near the lake suffered, too. Eventually, those cities became ghost towns.
In its heyday, this lake was the largest natural habitat for Artemia brine shrimp, which are uniquely adapted to saline environments, as well as an essential stopover point for migratory birds such as flamingos and pelicans. It remains a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, but the lake has lost about 88 percent of its surface area during the past three decades. A recent study concluded that increasing temperatures and a changing climate helped to dry out the lake, combined with booming agriculture in the region.
But those who benefited from the lake would now want it to be taken away from them.
The vast consequences of this environmental catastrophe have finally triggered a coordinated effort to save the lake. The Iranian government has created a national lake restoration committee and aims to invest $5 billion over 10 years. In the past two years, above-average precipitation has helped to turn the tide.
Experts say it may take decades for the lake to return to its former glory, but the improvements are giving hope to residents living around the lake.
More about this story over at Atlas Obscura.
(Image Credit: Solmaz Daryani/ Atlas Obscura)