DoE head: Transfer of Aras water to Urmiyeh entails environmental impacts

Mahabad, W Azarbaijan Prov., Nov 2, IRNA – Vice-President and head of the Department of Environment (DoE) Masoumeh Ebtekar said transfer of water of Aras River to the Lake Urmiyeh will entail environmental consequences. She said currently due to lack of the required assessment her department is against transfer of Aras River water to the Lake Urmiyeh in an effort to help solve its crisis. Ebtekar further remarked that due to limitation of water resources in the country when water is transferred from one point to another, this can entail many consequences for the nature. Stressing that any change in the environment will not be immune to its side effects, the vice-president said the more changes in the nature can be minimized and harnessed the more it will be helpful for the environment and agriculture. To this end, she added, plans to transfer water should be regarded as the final option for the revival of Lake Urmiyeh, adding that reform of farming pattern in watershed lands of the Lake Urmiyeh will be a proper mechanism for saving the lake. Ebtekar pointed to the revival of the Lake Urmiyeh as one of the top priority of government of prudence and hope as well as the Department of Environment and said the government will have an approval next week which will ratify the required funds for different sectors and plans that have been finalized./end