Behzad Jiddi: The National Movement Must Have a Long-Term Plan for Lake Urmia

By Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, August 24, 2024

Behzad Jiddi, Ph.D. Student

The head of the Environmental Protection Department of West Azerbaijan Province, Saeed Shahand, claimed in an interview with ISNA this week that Lake Urmia is in a desirable condition.

This year, with increased rainfall, the water level in Lake Urmia temporarily rose. However, many experts note that the situation remains critical.

In an interview with Voice of America, researcher Behzad Jiddi emphasized the importance of evaluating the lake’s condition by looking at “the average water volume over the past 10 years.”

“If we want to study the state of a natural lake, we need to look at the 10-year average water volume. We must measure the 10-year average, not a temporary situation. For instance, in recent months, there has been significant rainfall in northern Iran, especially in our region in the northwest, with rainfall three times above normal levels this year. This rain has temporarily improved the lake's condition. We know that this improvement is temporary. This is not the first time. About five years ago, during Rouhani’s last term, there were heavy rains. There were floods in West Azerbaijan, and the lake’s condition improved. At the time, the Iranian president claimed that their efforts had borne fruit,” Behzad Jiddi said.

The researcher stressed that the restoration of the lake’s condition would only be possible through long-term planning.

According to him, “The environmental destruction around Lake Urmia can only be addressed with a long-term plan. Research shows that the lake requires at least 3 billion cubic meters of water annually to stabilize.”

Jiddi believes that, just as the state lacks long-term plans to revive the lake, activists associated with the national movement also lack sustained efforts to keep the lake’s condition on the agenda and raise public awareness:

“Unfortunately, the national movement has no long-term plan for Lake Urmia. As a result, we react to passing news. For example, a photo is shared showing the lake’s deteriorating state, and we respond. True, such responses have temporary effects. They may influence local officials. Occasionally, when protests are large, they even resonate at the central level. But we must adopt a long-term plan and not rest until we achieve it. For example, we should not stop until the annual supply of 3 billion cubic meters of water to Lake Urmia is secured, and we must keep the issue on the agenda. Unfortunately, we are not doing this.”

In the interview, Behzad Jiddi also stated that activists associated with the Azerbaijan National Movement should investigate the condition of Lake Urmia and whether the announced revival projects are being implemented, rather than relying on the news disseminated by state agencies.

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Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Behzad Ciddi: Milli Hərəkatın Urmiyə gölü ilə bağlı uzunmüddətli planı olmalıdır