Cruel nature: The largest lake in the Middle East turns into a dry salt flat

On September 7, NASA’s Landsat 9 satellite captured an incredible image of Lake Urmia located in northwest Iran. Previously, Lake Urmia used to be one of the largest lakes in the Middle East, with an area of ​​about 5,200 square kilometers.

However, now, its opposite image appears pitifully. far from the dry lake bed, and only white salt mines remain.

In 1995, Lake Urmia reached a high water level. However, over the next two decades, the lake water level decreased by more than 7 meters and lost about 90% of its area due to prolonged drought and insufficient rainfall to compensate.

According to Sci-tech Daily The shrinking of Urmia Lake has caused serious impacts on the surrounding ecosystem and people.

Previously, the lake system consisted of wetlands. and small islands provide breeding grounds for birds such as flamingos, white pelicans, white-headed ducks… as well as stopover points for migratory species.

It’s not just water loss The salinity of the lake has also caused headaches for local officials for many years. It directly affects the freshwater fish and shrimp populations living inside. This is the main food source for animals that rely on the lake ecosystem, including humans.

The shrinking lake also increases the possibility of dispersing sand and dust from the open lake bed, causing Air quality is degraded. Recent studies have linked low water levels in Lake Urmia to impacts on the respiratory health of local people.

Sadly, in addition to natural factors, humans are also factors one of the reasons why Lake Urmia disappeared. Accordingly, the use of water for agriculture and the construction of dams on water supply rivers for decades have contributed to this decline.