[Breaking News]Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

OTSU, Japan, March 7 Kyodo - Video taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows sightseeing ships parading on Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture capital of Otsu, western Japan, in a ceremony marking the start of the tourist season at Japan's largest lake on March 7, 2026. (Kyodo)

Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a sightseeing ship parading on Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture capital of Otsu, western Japan, in a ceremony marking the start of the tourist season at Japan's largest lake on March 7, 2026.

Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a sightseeing ship parading on Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture capital of Otsu, western Japan, in a ceremony marking the start of the tourist season at Japan's largest lake on March 7, 2026.

Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows sightseeing ships parading on Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture capital of Otsu, western Japan, in a ceremony marking the start of the tourist season at Japan's largest lake on March 7, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Migratory Birds

Migratory Birds

SHANGRAO, CHINA - JANUARY 10, 2026 - Migratory birds overwinter at the Kangshan Reclamation Farm on the banks of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province on January 10, 2026.

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows dry reeds on the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 20, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows a wooden pier on the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 20, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows a wooden pier on the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 20, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows a mural depicting a landscape painted on a concrete wall near Sharafkhaneh port at Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows dry grass and the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 20, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows a rusty sign next to a wooden pier on the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 20, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows a shallow stream near a rocky cliff on the bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows a wooden pier on the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 20, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows tire tracks running alongside a shallow stream on the bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Salt formations cover the cracked surface of the dried bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A discarded tire sits near dry reeds on the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 20, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Remnants of a boat sit on the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A shepherd guides a flock of sheep on the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 20, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A car drives near a rocky cliff on the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A rusty boat sits next to a road near Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 20, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows a wooden pier on the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A man and two children stand near a car and a rocky cliff on the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows rows of wooden posts protruding from the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 20, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows murals depicting nature scenes painted on concrete walls near Sharafkhaneh port at Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows a wooden pier on the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 20, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows reflections on the surface of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 18, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A car drives on the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows a mural depicting a landscape painted on a concrete wall near Sharafkhaneh port at Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

A view shows rows of wooden posts protruding from the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 20, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Salt formations cover the cracked surface of the dried bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 19, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Lake Urmia Environmental Disaster - Iran

Remains of a boat sits near the dry bed of Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran on December 20, 2025. Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has dramatically shrunk due to prolonged drought, the damming of rivers feeding the lake, and extensive groundwater extraction in the surrounding area. Although increased rainfall and water diversion briefly helped restore water levels in 2019, renewed drought and administrative mismanagement in the early 2020s reversed the trend, and satellite imagery shows the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM