Japan says ready to deepen cooperation with Iran to revive Lake Urmia

Japan’s ambassador to Iran says his country is ready to help Iran in its efforts to bring the dying Lake Urmia back to life, according to the Iranian vice-president’s office for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy. 

Addressing the international event “Space and Time on the Silk Road” held in the Iranian capital Tehran and Tabriz, the capital city of East Azerbaijan province in northwestern Iran, Tamaki Tsukada said, “Last year, we made a lot of efforts to help restore Lake Urmia, and we are seeking to deepen specialized cooperation to restore the lake.” 

Tsukada noted that Japan has been providing support for Iran’s efforts to revive the receding lake since 2014. 

Lake Urmia in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province, and once the world’s 6th saltwater lake and the biggest of its kind in West Asia, is now on the cusp of drying up due to a number of factors, including unsustainable water consumption by farmers in the region and climate change. 

Meanwhile, the Japanese envoy stressed on boosting cultural, educational and environmental cooperation between Japan and Iran and said, “Despite the problems caused by the economic sanctions, I believe that we can increase our cooperation in various other fields.”