乌鲁米耶湖中的岩层，伊朗 Kazem Dashi rock formation in Lake Urmia, Iran (© Ali/Adobe Stock)

乌鲁米耶湖中的岩层，伊朗 Kazem Dashi rock formation in Lake Urmia, Iran (© Ali/Adobe Stock)

Back on the rise

This beautiful lake in northwestern Iran has had a rough couple of decades. Until around 1995, Lake Urmia was one of the top-ten largest saltwater lakes on Earth, and the center of a thriving resort scene. Then drought, rising temperatures, water overuse, and the building of a causeway across the lake reduced it to less than 10% of its size by the 2010s.

Now this salty lake (currently eight times saltier than the ocean) may be ready for a comeback. Over the last decade, multinational efforts to restore Lake Urmia have improved irrigation systems, reduced water usage, and diverted water from other sources. So, for the last few years, these salt flats have slowly given ground to rising waters. It's still not quite a lake-half-full situation, but the upward trends have revived hopes that Lake Urmia's glory days will return.

重新崛起

这个位于伊朗西北部的美丽湖泊经历了几十年的坎坷。直到1995年左右，乌尔米亚湖一直是地球上最大的十大咸水湖之一，也是一个欣欣向荣的度假胜地的中心。到了2010年，干旱、气温上升、用水过度，以及在湖面上修建堤道，使湖面面积缩小到10%以下。

现在这个咸水湖（目前比海洋咸8倍）可能会卷土重来。在过去的十年里，多国努力恢复乌尔米亚湖改善了灌溉系统，减少了水的使用，并从其他来源引水。因此，在过去的几年里，这些盐滩慢慢地让上升的海水占据了一席之地。现在还不是湖水半满的情况，但是上升的趋势让人们重新燃起了希望，乌尔米亚湖的辉煌时光将会重现。