Lake Urmia's Decline Halts After October Rains, With Volume Steady at About 2.55 Billion Cubic Metres

Mohammad-Ali Hassanpour Aghdam, head of basic water-resources studies at East Azerbaijan Regional Water Company, told Fars on Saturday, October 24, 2026 (2 Aban 1405) that the downward trend in Lake Urmia's water level stopped in the first month of the new water year, helped by effective October rainfall, and that the lake's volume has stabilised at about 2.55 billion cubic metres. He noted that in previous years the start of autumn was generally accompanied by continued falls in the level.

He said changes in large-scale atmospheric circulation and early rainfall in the catchment contributed, and that phenomena such as El Nino can also affect rainfall, though the size of their effect needs specialist study. Hassanpour Aghdam stressed that the positive sign does not end the lake's water challenges: lasting improvement depends on the amount and distribution of rain in the coming months and on water management in the basin.