Iran's Lake Urmia turns pink and red as salinity rises

TEHRAN, Iran — The waters of Lake Urmia in Iran's West Azerbaijan province have turned pink and red, a change linked to rising salinity and falling water levels, according to the provincial director general of environmental protection, Hajjah Jebari. Speaking to Iran's official Fars news agency, Jebari said dropping water levels and increased evaporation have driven up salt concentrations in parts of the lake. Environmental officials identified the single-celled alga Dunaliella salina as the primary source of the color change. Under high salinity and intense sunlight, the alga produces protective pigments such as beta-carotene, which can turn water pink or reddish. Authorities cautioned that water samples still require full laboratory analysis and that no single organism can be definitively blamed. The discoloration itself does not directly pose an environmental hazard, but it reflects the lake's growing salinity and ongoing environmental transformation, officials said. Once counted among the Middle East's largest salt lakes, Lake Urmia has faced severe environmental stress for decades due to drought, climate change and water management practices.