Global Assistance, Domestic Responsibility: The Death of Lake Urmia
137
Signatures
500
Goal
24 November 2025
Lake Urmia, once the largest saltwater lake in the Middle East and the ecological heart of northwestern Iran, has, in less than three decades, shrunk from more than 5,000 square kilometers, holding roughly 30 billion cubic meters of water, to a cracked expanse of salt flats. Its desiccation is not only an environmental disaster but a profound social and economic crisis for the millions who live in and around its basin.
During these years, the Government of Japan made repeated efforts to assist Iran in restoring the lake, providing more than six million dollars in support. These contributions ranged from grants of approximately one million dollars in 2014 and 2020 to a support package of 690 million yen, or about 4.5 million dollars, in December 2024. In addition, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) carried out technical studies and hydrological surveys of the lake basin between 2014 and 2016, with follow-up assessments in subsequent years. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), backed by Japan, launched a 2025 initiative to improve agricultural water efficiency in the basin. As a specialized UN agency, FAO works worldwide to advance sustainable agriculture, improve nutrition and food security, and support environmental management.
FAO has been a key international partner in efforts to restore Lake Urmia. With support from Japan and in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the organization has undertaken significant projects to reverse environmental degradation, promote climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture, and introduce efficient irrigation technologies. These initiatives have included training local farmers, reducing agricultural water consumption—the primary pressure on the lake’s ecosystem—and protecting biodiversity and food security.
Yet Lake Urmia has not been revived. It has reached its lowest recorded levels. The reason is clear: foreign assistance alone cannot substitute for domestic decision-making and political will. Excessive river withdrawals, widespread dam construction, inter-basin water transfers, and misaligned water-resource priorities have undermined all international efforts. Japanese and international support, mainly dedicated to technical assessments, pilot projects, and training, could not generate a lasting impact in the absence of genuine policy reform and responsible management inside Iran.
We, the undersigned, while expressing our appreciation for the goodwill and sustained efforts of the Government of Japan and international institutions, call on national authorities to be accountable. We demand the publication of transparent, detailed reports on how international assistance has been spent, a reassessment of water allocations within the Urmia basin, and reforms to decision-making and environmental policy grounded in data and ecological realities. Without these measures, Iran will face escalating environmental and social crises resulting from the death of Lake Urmia.
Related Petitions
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• Petition for the Restoration of Lake Urmia
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Province Number of signatures Alborz 5 Ardabil 2 Bushehr 0 Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari 0 East Azerbaijan 1 Fars 1 Gilan 1 Golestan 0 Hamadan 0 Hormozgan 0 Ilam 0 Isfahan 1 Kerman 0 Kermanshah 0 Khuzestan 0 Kohgiluyehv And Boyer Ahmad 0 Kurdistan 1 Lorestan 0 Markazi 0 Mazandaran 0 North Khorasan 0 Qazvin 0 Qom 0 Razavi Khorasan 0 Semnan 0 Sistan and Baluchestan 0 South Khorasan 0 Tehran 1 West Azerbaijan 1 Yazd 0 Zanjan 0 This petition has received 137 signatures so far. Approximately 88% of signatures come from Iran. Approximately 13% of signatures come from outside of Iran. Learn how Daadkhast generates signature maps. -
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I am signing because the Iranian government has not made optimal use of foreign aid and continues to fail to report transparently and take effective measures to restore the lake.
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امضا میکنم چون دولت ایران استفاده بهینه از کمکهای خارجی نکرده و همچنان در گزارش شفاف و اقدامات مؤثر برای احیاء دریاچه کوتاهی میکند.
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An Azerbaijani environmental activist started this petition
