Investigating Strategies for Extracting Minerals and Sediments from Lake Urmia to Promote Economic Efficiency and Contributing to Environmental Sustainability

Lake Urmia has entered a period of drought, leading to the deposition of a substantial volume of salts and minerals. The sediments contain valuable minerals. The overarching objective of this research is to formulate an appropriate strategy for the retrieval of sediments in the dried bed of the lake and exploiting the valuable minerals which will indirectly contribute to reducing the adverse environmental effects of excess sediments. SWOT analysis was employed to evaluate internal and external factors related to economic exploitation. The general condition of the lake was assessed in terms of the status of minerals within the sediments through literature reviews and field surveys. Then, a panel of experts, consisting of 87 individuals, engaged in the development of strategies using open-ended questionnaires and analytical and descriptive methods based on SWOT and Delphi. The results of the research indicated that sediments contain valuable elements, such as potassium and magnesium at densities of 1.5 and 5%, respectively. The evaluation matrices of internal and external factors in the analyses yielded scores of 2.41 and 2.38, respectively, indicating a high frequency of weaknesses and threats. Defensive strategies outperformed other strategies, underscoring the need to address weaknesses and mitigate threats in the process of sediment and valuable minerals extraction. Six defensive strategies can be implemented in the current circumstances, ultimately laying the groundwork for sediment harvesting and the processing of valuable minerals. Key weaknesses include a lack of general knowledge, underdeveloped industrial units in the relevant sector, limited media coverage regarding the importance of sediment extraction, and insufficient involvement of experts.