Investigation of Management Strategies for Urmia Lake Based on Economic Valuation

The recent water scarcity and decrease of precipitation have led to considerable changes in the ecosystem of Urmia Lake. The main objective of this study is to investigate the management strategies regarding Urmia Lake based on economic valuation.

 Methodology & Material:

 In this study (2016), the existing library and Internet documents as well as field studies were used. The statistical population in this study included the stakeholders, locals and tourists in Urmia. Sampling was done randomly and the sample size was determined after pre-tests using Cochran’s test. The method and data analysis tool in this study was contingent method, and Excel software and E-views were used to determine the economic values ​​of Urmia Lake. GIS software was also used to express the changes occurred in the lake.

Considering changes of water level in Urmia Lake in recent years, the inadvertent extraction of water from the wells and cultivation of crops that consume water content at high level in farming lands are assumed as important factors for drying Urmia Lake.

The willingness to pay for protecting different values ​​of Urmia Lake was estimated as totally 52.496 USD per person, monthly. The proper management of resources, the right of water for each river in the Urmia Lake basin, cessation of constructing new dams on other rivers entering the lake, changing the pattern of cultivation, and increasing water productivity are among the measures that must be taken to balance the fluctuation of water level in this lake.