The restoration of embattled Urmia Lake is still a high priority of the government, the first vice president said during a visit to the lake on Sunday.
Es'haq Jahangiri emphasized that reviving the lake cannot be removed from the agenda, as the livelihood of a large population directly and indirectly depends on it, Mehr News Agency reported.
"If need be, billions of dollars of foreign finance will be allocated to implement water transfer projects," he said.
Water transfer, both from domestic and foreign bodies of water, had long been proposed as one of the solutions for Urmia Lake Restoration Project.
According to Jahangiri, the scheme is still an option and foreign consultants have been hired to conduct feasibility studies.
He highlighted the effective measures taken so far to help replenish the lake, including the management of surface and underground waters in the vicinity of the lake.
Improving water management in the industry, sealing over 1,200 illegal wells in the region and promoting sustainable irrigation over 6,200 hectares of farmlands are among efforts taken to revive the vastly depleted lake.
The vice president noted that rivers are already dredged and cleared to facilitate the inflow of water.
The construction of dams over the rivers for urban and agricultural use had deprived the lake of water.
Now, according to Jahangiri, a share of water from rivers has been specified to help revive the water body.
"Around 600 million cubic meters of water from the rivers are expected to feed the lake, if the plans are to be implemented," he said.
In addition, the treatment of wastewater from nearby cities, such as Tabriz and Urmia, that can annually provide 120 and 53 million cubic meters of water respectively, is another dependable source.
Jahangiri said although the progress is behind schedule, the current condition of Urmia Lake and its water level is satisfactory.
"People needn't feel the slightest concern about the restoration plans," he said, while calling for cooperation to help accomplish the herculean task.
Located between the provinces of East and West Azarbaijan, Urmia Lake has been facing serious drought for years. Its depletion is due to climate change, the long dry spell, unrestrained damming and excessive water use, especially in the agriculture sector.
The volume of water in the lake has more than doubled since President Hassan Rouhani launched the Urmia Lake Restoration Program. However, the extreme lack of rainfall and budget has prevented ULRP from achieving its targets.
