I think it’s more likely to be a salt blizzard that’s going to blow off the dessicating remnants of Lake Urmia – year in, year out – even if it was a tsunami that was discussed at this week’s IHF showing of Lady Urmia.
We saw how the 9 metre drop in water is converting what was one of the largest saline lakes in the world from a rich and unique watery habitat, into a barren mass of solid salt.
Of course, it’s not only Lake Urmia that’s affected. I’ve already written about the drying of Lake Hamun and the Zayandehrud. All of Iran is facing a future where the only prospects may be to “die of thirst or run away”.
Afterwards, one of the questioners asked why and how this is happening.
Lake Urmia is affected by drought conditions – but this is compounded by (inefficient) overuse of incoming water for agriculture, excessive damming of source rivers, and official mismanagement. Read more here.
The graph below shows how the water levels in the lake tend to vary – but are diving downwards since the late 1990s
And this figure shows the many dams that are or will be built, all making the situation worse:
This week the IHF screening of the film ‘Lady Urmia’ brought home – just in case you didnt already know about it – the terrible fate of Lake Urmia. Someone there asked why and how its happening – and this week’s blog explores that in some more detail.
This weekend and next week, I hope everyone who can will take advantage of Sales week in London to head down to Christies, Sothebys and Bonhams to see – and maybe even bid for – some scrumptious pieces? And I think I’m going to see some of you at Tuesdays commemoration of Simin Behabani at SOAS?