Lake Urmia, the cultural identity of Iran

Lake Urmia, beyond a water area, is a part of the natural and cultural identity of northwest Iran and one of the important tourism capacities of West Azerbaijan. A capacity whose revival can once again look at the natural attractions of the targeted area and provide the basis for planning for tourism development.

According to Ambassador Arjan, citing information, the improvement of Urmia Lake as the largest salt lake in the Middle East has once again put the tourism potential of this natural heritage in the spotlight. An area where the increase in the size and volume of water has become the basis for strengthening the natural attractions of the region, attracting tourists and the prosperity of local businesses.

The increase in the water level of Lake Urmia and the improvement of its natural landscape have once again created a wave of tourists' welcome to Iran's turquoise gem. So that with the revival of the lake's blue expanse, more tourists from different provinces, especially the neighboring provinces, go to the region to see this natural attraction.

The increase in the water level of the lake has also provided an opportunity to hold all kinds of festivals, so that the cultural and tourism festival "Hal Khoob Lake Urmia" was widely welcomed by tourists and 3000 people visited this event every day.

This festival, which was held with the aim of creating a happy and fun atmosphere, introducing the cultural and tourism capacities of the region and providing an opportunity for families to be present on the edge of Lake Urmia, was able to host a significant number of enthusiasts and tourists.

Based on observations, people from neighboring provinces also traveled to the region to attend this festival. Some of these tourists spent the night in this area by setting up a tent on the edge of the lake; An issue that shows the tourism capacities of Lake Urmia and its attractiveness for tourists.

Holding such events provides an opportunity to introduce the natural attractions of Lake Urmia and increase public attention to the importance of this valuable water area.

In this context, the governor of West Azerbaijan, referring to the people's acceptance of the improvement of Urmia Lake, considered this natural heritage as a capacity to host domestic and foreign guests and added: Urmia Lake, as a cultural and environmental symbol on an interprovincial and regional scale, can have a worthy place in hosting tourists. A capacity that needs to be used simultaneously to protect the environment and develop tourism facilities.

Reza Rahmani, referring to the improvement of the condition of Lake Urmia in the last water year, announced the increase in the desire of tourists to visit this area and said: the restoration of tourism infrastructure around the lake and the creation of new accommodation and service facilities are on the agenda.

Rahmani continued: In the last water year, the condition of the lake improved and people showed a good desire to be around the lake. Accordingly, new measures have been put on the agenda to reactivate the tourism capacities of this region.

He continued: Part of the old tourism facilities around the lake needs to be renovated and revived, and efforts are being made to restore and activate the same facilities and facilities that existed around the lake in the past, and in addition to that, according to today's conditions, new facilities and facilities will be created so that tourists can stay in this area and use its capacities.

Rahmani added: The return of life and activity to the region can also provide the basis for strengthening tourism, and this opportunity should be used to create suitable infrastructure and attract tourists.

The Governor of West Azerbaijan stated: In the field of tourism, this year the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts has pursued projects in this region, among which we can mention the creation of residential and service complexes, as well as the creation of restaurants, docks and other service facilities needed by tourists, in order to provide a set of necessary infrastructures for the presence and stay of tourists around the lake.

The statistics announced by the director of the Water Resources Basic Studies Office of the West Azerbaijan Regional Water Company also indicate the improvement of Urmia Lake's condition compared to last year.

According to Mehrang Dosti Rezaei, the water level of the lake has increased by one meter and 15 centimeters compared to the same period last year, and its area has reached 1946 square kilometers. While the size of the lake in the same period last year was 468 square kilometers. In this way, the extent of the blue zone has increased by 1478 square kilometers compared to that period.

In a conversation with the news reporter, he announced the current volume of the lake's water at 2 billion 520 million cubic meters, a figure that indicates an increase of 2 billion 260 million cubic meters compared to 260 million cubic meters in the same period last year.

These changes indicate the re-expansion of the lake's water area compared to last year; An issue that is also important from the point of view of tourism, because the condition of the water area and the natural landscape of the lake are factors influencing its attractiveness for visitors.

Referring to the amount of evaporation from the surface of the lake, Dosti Rezaei explained: On average, about 900 to 1,000 millimeters of evaporation occurs from the water surface every year.

He stated that after the peak period of the water level in the months of April, May and June, the lake level has decreased by about 52 centimeters in the mentioned time period, adding: this amount of decrease, along with the annual evaporation, shows that the increase of water in a period of time alone is not enough to ensure the stability of the lake and that continuous supply of water resources and their proper management is of fundamental importance. The director of the water resources basic studies office of the West Azerbaijan Regional Water Company evaluated the current conditions of the lake better compared to last year and the last 6 years and stated: In the past years, successive droughts and decreased rainfall had caused difficult conditions in the catchment area of the lake.

Dosti Rezaei continued: The amount of water entering the lake depends on the rainfall conditions and access to water resources, and if there are enough resources, it will be possible to direct more flows to the lake.

Stating that 9 rivers from West Azarbaijan and 6 rivers from East Azarbaijan enter the lake and play a role in providing its water resources, he emphasized that the improvement of the conditions of the lake is not limited to the amount of rainfall, but also depends on how to manage the inflows, protect water resources and implement technical measures along the rivers.

The director of the Water Resources Basic Studies Office of the West Azerbaijan Regional Water Company emphasized that Urmia Lake has not yet reached its ecological level and stated: if the meteorological forecasts regarding the improvement of rainfall are fulfilled and considering the possibility of El Nino phenomenon, we can hope for the improvement of the conditions of the lake; However, the continuation of the restoration process still depends on the continuation of management measures and the actual conditions of water resources.

Dosti Rezaei also said about the situation of underground water: in the water year of 1403 and 1404, the deficit of the province's underground water tank reached one billion and 586 million cubic meters; However, in the current water year, part of the previous conditions have been compensated and the condition of the aquifers has improved. Referring to the drop in the water level in some networks by 3.5 to 4 meters, he announced the average drop of 1 meter and 86 centimeters and emphasized: In the current water year, in addition to compensating the reported drop, an increase in the underground water level has also been observed in some areas.

Improving the condition of Lake Urmia can provide the grounds for renewed attention to the tourism potential of this natural area, but turning this capacity into a sustainable tourism boom requires planning beyond the increase in water level.

Development of access infrastructure, service facilities, introduction of surrounding attractions, support of local businesses and compliance with environmental protection requirements are among the issues that can play a role in taking advantage of this opportunity.

In such a situation, the restoration of the lake and the development of tourism should be considered two complementary paths; In the first place, the protection of natural resources and the continuation of water inflows provide the grounds for maintaining the attractions of the lake, and then basic planning for tourism can help strengthen the economic activities around it.

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