LOST PARADISE

Lake Urmia, which is located in the northwest of Iran, was once the second largest lake on earth, however, in the last two decades the amount of water has decreased by 80 percent. The 14 kilometer causeway built 20 years ago to shorten the distance between Tabriz and Urmia has divided the lake as the northern and southern sides. Having been divided into two parts, water flow has stopped, which caused too much evaporation. Besides,

climate change and overuse of water in agriculture contributed to the lakeʼs recent look, which is likely to be irreversible. Once having hosted various bird and other animal species, Lake Urmia is now inhabitable even to the flamingos for which they used to be famous due to the decreased water level.

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From hosting holiday resorts around itself, reaching a dangerously high water levels for its habitants and being one of the routes of shipping, the lake has turned into a ship graveyard due to drought.

The lake presents a post-apocalyptic view with the surrounding abandoned holiday resorts to the visitors. The remaining salt in the lake is spread around the cultivated lands and ruins crops by the damage it causes. If this environmental hazard is not reversed, thousands of people may be forced to leave their houses permanently.

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We cannot ignore the fact that each change we make in nature may cause irreversible damage to the ecosystem. In order to address the issues on the climate crisis and environmental migration and comprehend them thoroughly, we must admit that they are global issues, then act accordingly.