Azernews.Az

By Seymur Aliyev

Iran could benefit from Azerbaijan's assistance in saving its drying Lake Urmia. The country is expected to discuss with its neighbor use of the Araz River waters in an effort to replenish the basin, Jabbar Vatanfada, Director General of the Trans Boundary Rivers and Shared Water Resources Bureau under the Iranian Ministry of Energy, told IRNA news agency.

"It is planned to take some measures to prevent drying of Lake Urmia due to the climate conditions," Vatanfada said. "These measures include water transfer from the Araz River to Lake Urmia. We want the Azerbaijani government to provide its consent to this for the sake of neighborhood and assistance to environment [protection]."

Vatanfada also commented on the Azerbaijani media reports about Mehri hydropower plant, which Iran and Armenia are jointly constructing over the Araz River.

He specifically denied some reports saying that a reservoir will be built for the hydropower station.

"There is no need to strengthen water and collect it as a reserve for the Mehri hydropower plant. This plant will operate on water current and the existing current is enough for it," he said.

Vatanfada stressed that the Mehri power station will be similar to that being built jointly by Iran and Azerbaijan in the Ordubad region of Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

"A special tunnel is being constructed for these stations. The river water will run to hydroelectric power stations through this tunnel and then flow back to the river."

According to official figures, some 70 per cent of Lake Urmia spanning 6,000 square kilometers is shallow. Currently, a liter of lake water contains up to 400 grams of salt. Previously, the amount of salt per liter of water was 160-170 grams.

The drying of the lake has an impact on the flora and fauna of the region, which alarms international organizations and regional countries.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has allocated $135 million to Iran to resolve its environmental problems with shoaling at Lake Urmia.

In turn, the Iranian government allocated $900 million for this purpose in September 2011.
A project aiming to direct 600 million cubic meters of water from the Araz River into Lake Urmia was launched following a visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and government officials to Tabriz in 2010.

"The main problem with Iran's lakes, including Lake Urmia, Parishan and Hamun and some others, is that much water of the rivers flowing into the lakes is used indiscriminately," Mohammad Javad Mohammadizadeh, who heads Iran's Environment Protection Organization, was quoted by Mehr news agency as saying. "This leads to their becoming shallow, news agencies reported earlier."

Protests were held in Tabriz and Urmia over the shoaling of Lake Urmia in 2011. Dozens of Iranian Azerbaijanis were arrested.

Lake Urmia in the northwestern tip of Iran is one of the largest permanent hypersaline lakes in the world and the largest lake in the Middle East. It extends as much as 140 km from north to south and is as wide as 85 km east to west during high water level periods. The area of the lake is about 6,000 square kilometers.