Urmia Lake Restoration Push Enters New Stage

The document on the fifth phase of the international project on Urmia Lake’s restoration was signed on Monday by officials with Iran’s Department of Environment and the office of the United Nations Development Program. 
The project which involves fostering local communities’ participation in developing sustainable agriculture and protecting biodiversity is jointly operated by the UNDP and the DOE with support from the Japanese government. 
So far, 110 out of 3,000 villages in the lake’s catchment area have been covered in the project and the number is planned to reach 130 in this phase. 
During the ceremony, the DOE chief Isa Kalantari commended the project for focusing on social factors and attempting to encourage public participation. 
“Such programs are very difficult as they require a long schedule and huge budget,” he said, DEO’s news portal reported.