The Department of Environment has approved a plan to transfer water from Zab River to help revive the embattled Lake Urmia, the department’s deputy for the natural environment and biodiversity said. Speaking to Mehr News Agency, Farhad Dabiri said reviewing the plan took four months and countless hours of discussions. “It was decided that the plan’s advantages outweigh the fallouts,” he said, adding that the department has given the green light to the Urmia Lake Restoration Program to go ahead with the plan. Noting the diligence shown in reviewing the plan, Dabiri said the proposed plan had to be slightly revised to ensure minimal environmental impacts. Critics argue that transferring water from Zab River in Kurdestan Province would adversely impact the river and Lake Urmia. The project, which is to be completed by 2019, aims to transfer 600 million cubic meters of water annually from Zab to Lake Urmia.
