Update: Radio Farda reports that the Parliament in Iran has budget up to $900 million to address the problem.Six months ago, environmental activists in Iran starting sounding the alarm about the state of
Lake Orumiyeh (Urmia). Many began posting about Lake Orumiyeh on Facebook. They urged others to take notice: Lake Orumiyeh, the third largest salt water lake in the world, was drying up. This environmental catastrophe was not receiving the attention needed to force action from the government.Protests about the state of the lake have moved from Facebook to the streets, where they are occuring on a regular basis.
Several dozen people have been arrested in Northwestern Iran protesting the government's inability to ensure the long-term survival of the lake, which is drying up as a result of drought and the man-made diversion of rivers that once flowed into the lake.
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