Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Iran’s lakes are vanishing: Satellite images show a deepening water
crisis
Iran has hundreds of dams to generate electricity and store water, yet
its 92 million residents are facing severe water shortages. More than 30,000 of
the country’s 69,000 villages have been abandoned so far due to water
shortages. Years of drought, declining rainfall, and unsustainable water use
have depleted reservoirs, rivers, and groundwater reserves. For example, Lake
Urmia, the largest saltwater lake in the Middle East, has shrunk to less than
10% of its former size since the 1990s. About 90% of the water is used for
agriculture, but much of the extracted water doesn’t reach crops because of
inefficient irrigation systems. Iran has plenty of oil to export to buy weapons, but not enough
water to sustain its farming, industry, and population. It has been at war with
the US and Israel for its nuclear weaponization effort, and is putting most of its
resources and efforts into firing missiles and flying drones. But which might
deplete first, weapons or water?
Read the article and learn how serious Iran’s water shortages are.
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