International Call for Urgent Intervention to Save Lake Urmia A Disaster with Transboundary Impacts

Addressed to:

• Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Ramsar Secretariat on Wetlands of International Importance
• United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
• United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
• The World Bank, Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Dear Sir/Madam,

We, a coalition of researchers, environmental experts, and concerned citizens, urgently call upon the United Nations and its specialized agencies to take immediate action to prevent the ecological collapse of Lake Urmia. This lake, listed since 1975 as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention and designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, now stands on the brink of complete destruction.

In accordance with the international principles set forth in:

• The Ramsar Convention (1971)
• The Rio Declaration (1992)
• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goals 6, 13, and 15
• The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030

Causes of the Crisis

• Unsustainable water extraction and mismanagement of water resources
• Reduced river inflows and depletion of groundwater
• Climate change and decreased precipitation

Consequences of Inaction – A Threat Beyond Iran’s Borders

1. Salt and Dust Storms

• Impact radius exceeding 400 km, with salt particles already reaching border areas and penetrating into Iraq, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.
• These particles cause air pollution, degrade agricultural land, and reduce biodiversity across the region.

2. Impacts on Agriculture and Regional Food Security

• Loss of more than 150,000 hectares of fertile farmland surrounding the lake.
• Reduction of over 65% in agricultural output (apples, grapes, wheat), part of which is destined for regional export.
• Direct threat to the food security of neighboring countries through reduced supply and rising prices.

3. Transboundary Public Health Impacts

• Increase in respiratory, cardiovascular, and eye diseases in areas affected by salt storms.
• Rising healthcare costs and pressure on the public health systems of neighboring countries.

4. Climate-Induced Migration and Social Instability

• Projected forced displacement of over 1 million people from the Lake Urmia basin by 2030, potentially triggering new cross-border migration waves and political tensions.
• Such displacement increases the risk of intensified competition over water and land resources across the region.

Urgent Requests to the International Community

1. Immediate inclusion of Lake Urmia on the Montreux Record as a wetland under serious threat.
2. Formation of an international scientific task force with the participation of UNEP, the Ramsar Convention, and climate/hydrology experts to develop a restoration plan.
3. Establishment of a dedicated Lake Urmia Restoration Fund under the oversight of the GEF or the World Bank to secure financial and technical resources.
4. Provision of technical and educational assistance in sustainable agriculture, water resource management, and ecosystem rehabilitation.
5. Strengthening diplomatic and environmental cooperation with neighboring countries to manage transboundary impacts.

Conclusion

Lake Urmia is no longer a solely national crisis; it is a threat to public health, food security, social stability, and the environment of the entire West Asia region. Inaction today will result in a chain reaction of health, economic, and political crises in Iran and neighboring countries within less than a decade.