TEHRAN – With financial support from the Government of Japan, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have signed a cooperation document aimed at supporting the restoration of the drying Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran.
Lake Urmia in West Azarbaijan Region began drying up in the 2000s. The lake was once the largest salt lake in Western Asia and the sixth largest in the world, with a water surface area of 5,000 to 6,000 square kilometers.
The signing ceremony took place during President Massoud Pezeshkian’s visit to West Azarbaijan, the FAO website announced in a press release on October 23.
The document was signed by Reza Rahmani, Secretary of the National Committee for the Rescue of Urmiyah Lake, and Ali Nazaridoust, FAO Representative to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The initiative, titled “Strengthening Lake Urmia Restoration Activities through Effective Use of Agricultural Water,” aims to promote sustainable agriculture and support the restoration of Lake Urmia, one of the most important ecosystems in the country.
The Urmiyah Lake Basin plays an important role in ensuring food security and agricultural productivity in Iran. However, in recent years, the basin’s water resources have decreased significantly due to rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and unsustainable water use.
Recognizing the urgency of these challenges, FAO is implementing this project to promote integrated water resource management and climate-smart agricultural practices across the basin.
The Urmia Lake portion of the project will be implemented jointly by FAO and the Urmia Lake Rescue National Committee (ULRNC). The aim is to scale up and operationalize agricultural water efficiency and productivity improvements to protect livelihoods and reduce pressure on water resources.
The project will help farmers and rural communities become more resilient to water scarcity, while contributing to restoring the lake’s ecological balance through capacity building, introducing efficient irrigation techniques, and promoting sustainable farming practices.
This project represents a strong example of collaboration between the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, FAO, UNDP and the Government of Japan in supporting national efforts towards sustainable agriculture, water management and environmental conservation.
On December 1, 2024, the Government of Japan and UNDP signed an Exchange of Notes to launch the “Wetland Conservation System Development Project for Lake Urmia and Other Wetlands (Including Surrounding Communities)”.
The project will run from 2024 to 2028 and will be implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment and FAO.
The initiative focuses on sustainable agriculture and climate-smart livelihoods, and aims to deliver long-term benefits to local communities while protecting wetland biodiversity as important ecosystems.
Lake Urmia faces serious challenges due to overconsumption of water resources, which are further exacerbated by the effects of climate change, which are having serious impacts on the ecosystem.
Agricultural activities in the region are increasingly vulnerable to water scarcity, a situation exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Research shows that these climate changes could further disrupt agricultural systems and the lake’s fragile environment in the future.
FAO, with support from the Government of Japan, has identified technical agricultural solutions to increase water efficiency in the agricultural sector of the Lake Urmia basin. This could be effective in saving internationally known biosphere reserves.
MT/MG