Rare rainfall record in Urmia Basin
The head of the Lake Urmia Basin Organization has reported an exceptional rainfall and water resource situation not seen in the past 60 years.
Farhad Iman‑Sho’ar described the situation in the basin as very promising, saying precipitation in the region has been recorded as 50 percent above the long‑term average.
He reported that the lake’s water level reached 1,270.45 meters on April 3, 2026, noting that the current water volume has reached 2.12 billion cubic meters, which has once again turned the previously drying lake into a single, unified body of water after years.
Iman‑Sho’ar estimated the lake’s current inflow at more than 350 cubic meters per second, adding that this increases its volume by nearly 30 million cubic meters per day.
Emphasizing that the resource and consumption plan has been developed dynamically and based on various drought and wet‑year scenarios, he assured that drinking water reserves for the entire basin are fully guaranteed for the next 18 months, even under the assumption of potential low rainfall next year.
The official said that despite a 50 percent increase in precipitation compared with the long‑term average, the impacts of prolonged droughts and the requirements of civil defense call for continued cautious, multi‑scenario management, and strong protection of infrastructure.
He noted that Iran lies in a region with predominantly arid and semi‑arid climates where drought cycles typically last between 11 and 17 years.
Iman‑Sho’ar stated that after a period of severe low rainfall, most parts of the country experienced a significant surge in precipitation during the 2025–2026 water year.
He noted that this trend, strengthened by heavy winter and early spring rainfall, has pushed average precipitation in most areas not only back to long‑term normal levels but even beyond them.
Iman‑Sho’ar concluded that the full restoration of Lake Urmia is a complex and long‑term process and that heavy rainfall over a few seasons should not create the impression that the problems caused by decades of pressure on water resources and aquifers have been resolved.