The receding waterfront of Lake Orumieh, Azerbaijan, in 2011. The salt lake has been drying up rapidly in recent years; approximately half of the area it formerly covered is now completely dry. Experts predict that unless drastic actions are taken, it will completely dry up and disappear in about five years. MEHR [Update: Replaced “Azerbaijan” with “Iran” in the headline, thanks to reader Steve Bloom’s correction of Desdemona’s faulty geography.]

By MUHAMMAD SAHIMI
4 September 2011 Demonstrations were held Saturday in Tabriz and Orumieh — the capitals of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan provinces, respectively — and in several other towns in the two provinces to protest the disastrous condition of Lake Orumieh. The salt lake has been drying up rapidly in recent years; approximately half of the area it formerly covered is now completely dry. Experts predict that unless drastic actions are taken, it will completely dry up and disappear in about five years. Reports by several sources indicate that the demonstrations were broken up by police and security forces, and a large number of protestors were arrested. (For amateur video purported to be of Saturday’s protests, see here and here.) In addition to the fact that the disappearance of the lake, which has existed for thousands of years, would be an ecological catastrophe, the spread of the salt that will remain behind will affect agriculture and water resources. Experts predict that at least 18 provinces will be affected. The demonstrators and other activists believe that much of the blame for what is happening to Lake Orumieh rests with the government, which they say lacks any plan to address the situation. On Wednesday, August 24, the security forces arrested a large number of civil activists in Tabriz. The first large-scale demonstrations to protest what is happening to Lake Orumieh were held on Saturday, August 27. Those demonstrations turned violent when the anti-riot police used tear gas; many protesters were injured and a large number of people were arrested. The same day, 22 Majles deputies from the Azerbaijan provinces issued a statement warning that the government would be responsible for the social, political, and economic consequences of Lake Orumieh drying up. There were large demonstrations again on Sunday, August 28. Since Thursday, September 1, when human rights advocates and civil society activists called for new protests against the government’s inaction, security and intelligence forces in the two provinces have been on high alert. Eyewitnesses reported that Motahari and Taleghani Streets in Orumieh were controlled by demonstrators for several hours, and that there was a confrontation between the people and the police in Ataei Street. In Tabriz, police confronted the demonstrators in Bazaar-e Mohammadi and Rasteh Bazaar-e Rasteh; clashes then spread to the Ghoonfa Bashi, Bagh-e Golestan, and Sa’at Ghabbghi neighborhoods. Police used tear gas and plastic bullets to disperse the demonstrators. Eyewitnesses reported that dozens of people were arrested in both cities. Reports indicate that the protestors were shouting “Join us, my Turkish brother,” and “Lake Orumieh is thirsty, if Azerbaijan does not wake up, it will lose.” An eyewitness said that there were four security agents for every demonstrator. In preparation for this Saturday’s demonstrations, security forces collected all the curbside trash cans to prevent the people from using them against the police. Early Saturday morning, two police helicopters began hovering over Orumieh. The presence of a large number of plainclothes agents in the two cities has been reported. Internet speed has been reduced to practically zero, there is disruption in phone service, and SMS communications have been cut off. Several reports indicate that similar demonstrations were held in Miandoab, Mianeh, and Salmas. At least 20 people were arrested in Miandoab and Mianeh. Reports indicate that even in Tehran, the police and plainclothes agents were present in large numbers around the Majles building at historic Baharestan Square to prevent any possible demonstrations by Azeri people who live in the capital. […] Interestingly, with the exception of Fars, the news agency controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, none of the hardline websites, news agencies, and dailies has said anything about the demonstrations. Fars reported about a gathering of 50 people of various ethnicities. Tehran City Council member Dr. Masoumeh Ebtekar, who was vice president for environmental affairs in the Khatami administration, said that those who are protesting about the condition of Lake Orumieh are “civil and environmental activists and if they warn us, we should heed it for the environment.” She added that Lake Orumieh is a great resource for Azerbaijan that contributes to the region’s mild weather and its agricultural fertility. “If nothing is done, we will have salt storms that will destroy all the towns around the lake,” she warned, adding, “I do not know who is responsible, the government that did not carry the plan [for saving the lake], or the Majles that did not oversee [what the government was supposed to do]. Passage of time has worsened the crisis, and we are now at the height of it.” […]

Growing Unrest in Azerbaijan Region over Imperiled Lake Orumieh