Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.17
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
Iranian Lake Urmia's water reserve has increased by 500 million cubic meters (mcm), Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Rahim Meidani said.
He said since September 23, precipitation was 37 millimeters on average per day, which was 61 percent more than the same period last year, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on November 17.
Water level in the lake, which is experiencing its worst drought in many years, has increased by 32 centimeters thanks to a recent rainfall.
Morteza Mousavi, the director general of the bureau for Lake Urmia water resources management, said on Oct. 27 that thanks to more than 117 millimeters of rain during the previous calendar month of Mehr (September 23-October 22), the level of water in Lake Urmia is rising..
It is hoped that Lake Urmia's water level would reach its ecologic level of 1274.1 meters through improving irrigation methods and implementing water transfer plans by 2023, he said.
Lake Urmia is in northwest Iran. Over 70 percent of its water has dried up. The level has been declining since 1995.