Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.26
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
Iran Water and Power Resources Development Company is studying the possibility of transferring water from the Caspian Sea to Lake Urmia.
The company's managing director, Mohammad Reza Rezazadeh, said that the company has been conducting studies for three months already, with the help from foreign consultants from Norway, Austria, and North America, Iran's ISNA news agency reported on November 26.
"We are planning to fisnish the studies over the course of one year," he added.
Lake Urmia is in north-west of Iran. Over 70 percent of its water has dried up. The level has been declining since 1995.
Officials have said if the current restoration efforts are not effective, the lake will be turned into a swamp within four years. Previous reports said Lake Urmia needs 3.1 billion cubic meters of water per year to survive.
The Iranian administration has approved $225 million for the implementation of plan to restore Lake Urmia, which is experiencing its worst drought in many years.
The Ministry of Agriculture was tasked with establishing modern irrigation systems around Lake Urmia farmlands, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on November 3.
According to the plan, the Ministry of Energy should regulate the use of water through installing smart water meters at water wells.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has established a working group to tackle the issue of saving Lake Urmia.
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