AGI – TheThe shadow of an ecological catastrophe is spreading over Iranwhere is that, that, that Lake Urmiais the largest salt lake in the country Retreating at an alarming rate. The alarm was triggered, according to the Samat newspaper 80% of the waters They left the lake lost last yearthereby reducing the surface area of the body of water in the northwest of the country only 170 square kilometers. A loss of incalculable value with enormous consequences for the economy and climate of one of Iran’s most populous regions.
A process of destruction that continued despite the announcements of the Ayatollah government, which had repeatedly promised concrete measures to stop the destruction of the largest salt lake in the Middle East. The destruction of Urmia took more than 20 years, mainly due to progressive desiccationLack of sustainable management strategies andunregulated expansion of agriculturewhich has made the water body a polluted and smelly pool in some places.
According to the Samat newspaper, 97% of Lake Urmia’s water reserves have been lost over the last 25 years. To support its allegations, the newspaper publishes satellite photos taken by Sharif University over the years. A controversy that inevitably had political repercussions. Numerous activists and environmentalists have been arrested and persecuted by the Iranian regime for reporting on the ongoing environmental disaster and deteriorating air quality in the region.
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