The dramatic disappearance of the largest lake in the Middle East: today it is nothing more than a large salt flat

He Urmia lake in the northwest of Iran, It was once the largest lake in the Middle East and one of the largest hypersaline lakes on Earth. whose rivers form deltas enable green agricultural fields ; Soft soils and nearby water supplies support agriculture in an otherwise dry region. For this reason, the lake and its wetlands were declared Biosphere reserve by UNESCO.

But today, this immense lake has essentially become a dried-up salt flat. Although it saw a resurgence in 2020 due to unusual rainfall the historical trend shows that it has been drying out since 1995, losing almost 90% of its surface area.

On September 7, 2023, the Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) instrument on NASA’s Landsat 9 satellite captured this image of the dried lake bed.

It contrasts with the image from three years earlier (below), acquired by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) instrument on NASA’s Landsat 8 satellite, on September 8, 2020. when water filled most of the basin and salt deposits were only visible around the perimeter of the lake.

The replacement took place after a period of above average precipitation who sent a fresh water rise to the basin, thus increasing its water footprint. Since then, drier conditions have caused levels to fall again.

“The long-term trend in Urmia is towards drying. In 1995, Lake Urmia has reached its maximum level; Then, over the next two decades, the lake level fell by more than 7 meters. and lost about 90 percent of its surface area,” » NASA said in a statement.

“Consequent droughts, agricultural use of water and the construction of dams on the rivers that feed the lake have contributed to this decline,” the space agency noted.

The deterioration of the state of the lake affects the livelihoods of surrounding communities, particularly those dependent on agriculture and fishing. . This has also contributed to health problems, as exposure to salt and dust particles from the dry lake bed can cause respiratory problems.

The shrinking of Lake Urmia has implications for ecological and human health. The lake, its islands and surrounding wetlands provide valuable habitat and are recognized as UNESCO Biosphere Reserve , Ramsar Site and national park.

The region offers breeding grounds for waterfowl such as pink flamingos, white pelicans and white-headed duck , as well as a scale for migratory species. However, as the lake level drops, the remaining water becomes more saline and taxes the populations brine shrimp and other food sources for larger animals.

A shrinking lake It also increases the likelihood that dust from the exposed bed will be blown by winds and degrade air quality. Studies recent linked low water levels in Lake Urmia to impacts on the respiratory health of the local population.