‏نمایش پست‌ها با برچسب Azarbaijan. نمایش همه پست‌ها
‏نمایش پست‌ها با برچسب Azarbaijan. نمایش همه پست‌ها

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Belgian company ready to try to restore Lake Urmia


A Belgian company has announced that it is ready to try to restore Iran’s Lake Urmia, 70 percent of which has dried up over the past few years.
Trackable Engineering Company has put in a request to Iran’s Foreign Ministry in this regard, IRNA reported on Friday. The plan is also being followed up by a member of the Iranian parliament.
The company has estimated the project would cost €1 million and would be completed within three years.
The Belgian company has a track record of restoring the Dead Sea.
Lake Urmia, in the northwest of Iran, is experiencing its worst condition for the past 50 years. The level of the lake’s water has been declining since 1995.
In October 2012, Iranian Environment Protection Organization Director Mohammad Javad Mohammadizadeh said during Iranian calendar year 1390 (March 2011- March 2012), about 2 billion cubic meters of water were transferred to the lake.
Lake Urmia is the third largest salt water lake on earth with a surface area of approximately 5,200 square kilometers.
Experts say the construction of dams on rivers feeding the lake and also droughts have significantly decreased the annual amount of water Lake Urmia receives. They also say that the construction of a bridge across the lake has upset its ecological balance.
source

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Lake Urmia Model - Easy Modeling

In holistic programs or studies on water (let say IWRM), one of the main topics is stakeholders’ cooperation. Cooperation is a logical voluntary activity which has been formed based on knowledge.  It means that cooperation needs information. On the other hand, in policy making processes, particularly in developing countries, decision makers are politicians whom are not experts, necessarily. In water resources development or management projects the only tangible criteria are money, and traditional economic analyses (like “B/C”,”B-C” etc.) apply for selecting a project or plan. My experience shows that this opinion causes economic evaluation on everything in a project; environmental degradation can be paid as a penalty like police tickets.
As an expert, I think that we shall change our definition and provide more knowledge and information about natural resources for decision makers and particularly our next generation. It does not mean that we have to teach them water resources courses, but we can provide them some simple and accurate knowledge to find common language. I believe that when water is a part of human rights, why shall not we provide some public knowledge, a step beyond public awareness? Imagine that everyone can model a basin and does some “what-if” scenarios. This is my idea! Maybe it is funny, but now it is applied in the energy sector. You can find many applications for iPhone or iPad to calculate your gas or electricity consumption even about drinking water glasses that you drink. Shall not we develop for water in our basin?
Well… I have started this idea from one of my favorite and actually most challenging basin in Iran. The Lake Urmia Basin is one of the main Iran’s basins. The Lake Urmia is the largest lake in the Middle East and the third largest salt lake in the world, a national park and has named in Ramsar site along other wetlands around this lake (maybe I should write “was”). Water surface elevation in the lake Urmia has been declined for around a decade and causes hyper saline water, almost due to poor water resources management. The Lake Urmia provides a horizontal fetch for wind blowing. Some stakeholders (farmers and environmental activist) doubt about salt blowing to their cities or farms, and they worry about the second “Aral Lake” in their basin.
I got results of a basin wide water resources model and then built another simple model based on the first one, and I put it in an internet page with few coding. Everyone can run this simple model and compares results, now; a logical framework for stakeholders (and government) dialogue.
I am going to study more on this issue; I called it “Easy Modeling”. This is our responsibility to clear water resources for decision makers. Their responsibilities are making a decision. They have just three alternatives, “Yes, No, Abstention”; even if they cannot understand natural resources or theories behind of natural phenomena, but we have tons of alternatives.
You can run this model from this link.
Please let me know your opinion. I am glad to know that is it as simple as I think? Is there any problem in model?
Although model is so easy (at least I think, you may find some example for running in below video.
http://youtu.be/ZzCGOXzAj84
Source : http://tinyurl.com/5ukdhhk

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Health Benefits of Lake Urmia

Health Benefits and Applications of Lake Urmia
The minerals found in Urmia Salt Lake black mud have very excellent effects on our mood muscles skin as the following: - Potassium: It is primarily responsible for regulating skin's moisture. Potassium is used to regulate muscle contractions and the nervous system so that you do not develop water retention. Potassium regulates the transfer of nutrients through cell membranes; helps prevent the formation of free radicals; helps prevent acne. Potassium improves the oxidation and regulates the electrical process of the muscles and the nervous system. Asthma patients achieve good results from inhaling the salt vapors. - Zinc: Zinc is vital for the natural regulation of skin cell generation, for stimulating collagen renewal and it is also a natural UV blocker. Zinc plays a role in enzymatic regulation of cell proliferation. As an antioxidant, it aids in tissue repair and wound healing; plays an important role in the formation collagen; helps prevent dermatitis and outbreaks of acne. A low level of zinc is associated with skin disorders.
- Magnesium: Magnesium stimulates the building of proteins, moves energy between cells, calms your body, reduces your skin's aging process, relieves stress and the retention of fluids. Magnesium is essential for cell metabolism. For instance, a significant deficit in Magnesium has been discovered in skin scales and serum of patients with psoriasis. Magnesium supposedly affects the ripening of skin cells of psoriasis patients. Moreover, in cases of bronchi, Magnesium works as anti-allergic agent. Magnesium assists your body in utilizing other essential nutrients and with cell metabolism. - Sulfur: Sulfur is a natural disinfectant, converts toxins into non-toxins and it helps with digestion and the absorption of vitamins. Sulfur is important for collagen synthesis and for healthy skin keratinization.
It is also essential to enable cells to breathe. Sulfur is an ingredient in some acne treatments.
Sulfur is found in the amino acids cysteine, and methionine; as well as in cells, hemoglobin (of the blood), collagen (of the muscles), keratin (required for skin), insulin, heparin, biotin and co-enzyme A (required for healthy hair, skin, nails, among many other biological structures). - Chlorine: Chlorine: is responsible for maintaining the correct alkaline and acid balance in your body, which is very important whenever it comes to cell metabolism.
Iodine: is necessary for energy and cell metabolism, maintaining proper water balance and helping cells to be able to absorb nourishment and expel waste products. Iodine is necessary for the production of the hormone thyroxin, and is also vital for both energy and cell metabolism.
Sodium: helps your body's cells to be able to absorb nourishment and expel waste; balancing your body's lymphatic fluid and helping your skin be able to maintain a neutral moisture balance and relieve and prevent cramps. The Sodium ions remove skin scales and improve its permeability. After penetrating into the skin, they bind the water and generate a feeling of suppleness, ideal for of very dry skin. Sodium helps fight free radicals formed in the skin; mitigates skin aging. Amphipoda (Artemia)
Amphipoda is the richest natural source of amino acids on the earth. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and hence they are the most vital acids of our body. Amino acids are essential proteins that help keep skin strong and healthy. There are 28 commonly known amino acids. Nine of these are called essential amino acids.
This type of artemia (amphipoda) contains more than 18 amino acids . They are: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
These nine essential amino acids can not be manufactured by the body and must be obtained from food or supplements. The remaining 19 are referred to as non-essential amino acids, meaning they can be manufactured by the body from other amino acids as needed, but they too can be obtained through supplements. Amino acids repair skin, muscles, nails, hair and glands. Their deficiency can lead to serve body and skin disorders. There are two types of amino acids, essential and non-essential. Our body needs essential amino acids to work properly. Amino acids, at their essence, are peptides. These are proteins, which have a positive effect upon cells. They help improve skin that has been scarred or has stretch marks. When used correctly, amino acids seem to be more powerful than a alpha-hydroxy system of skin care in terms of filling lines, smoothing skin and improving tone and color. Even better, they can achieve this with less irritation and photosensitivity. It also understood that amino acids, applied externally in the right formula and also taken internally, can improve the skin’s ability to stay hydrated. Properly hydrated skin not only takes and holds cosmetics better, but looks and feels more youthful.  In talking about amino acid skin care, there are four main acids that are known to be an effective combination in building collagen. These acids are Proline, Glycine, Leucine and Lysine. Together, this formula acts as an exfoliant, works to improve moisture retention and also acts as an antioxidant, thus strengthening your skin even in harsh weather conditions. One of the popular amino acid skin care treatment systems is Amino Genesis, which includes cleansers, moisturizers, serums, targeted, repair formulas and even a treatment for hair. Users not only report improvement in fine lines and other cosmetic skin woes, they note that this system of amino acid skin care has an effect on skin plagued by psoriasis, chronic dermatitis and rosacea. Using certain skin care products that contain certain active amino acids ensures that they keep your skin from aging.
Since skin is the most largest organ, when you apply such lotion, cream or facial mask on the skin, the amino acids present in it gets absorb in the skin and will help to heal the wrinkles from within. Therefore, it gives a smoother texture to your skin.
Amino acids are also known for building Collagen in cells beneath the epidermis, the outer layer of skin. Collagen is an anti-wrinkle protein naturally secreted by skin cells that binds them together, it will help the skin in restoring its natural elasticity. All amino acids are classified in two forms, D-form and L-form.
All the naturally produced amino acids are in L-form which are highly available in amphipoda (artemia).When the skin becomes depleted of the amino acids that spell out the proteins that need to be made to keep the skin youthful and functioning properly.
No amount of skin treatments or products will have any positive effect on the skin unless all the necessary amino acids are available to provide the directions. A combination of factors—aging, environmental toxins, ultraviolet (UV) exposure—exerts a negative effect on the skin, depleting levels of amino acids.
As levels of amino acids fall, the body’s daily maintenance of the skin slows down or halts, and the aging process sets in. To jump start the maintenance aging, the skin must be re-nourished with the amino acids it needs to function properly.
First topically nourishing the skin with a full spectrum of individual amino acids allows the skin to function properly. It also provides a foundation to allow other skin treatments and ingredients t exert their own beneficial effects.
Cosmetic products designed to deliver a range of amino acids will exert host of benefits to the skin, and work synergistically with other ingredients to deliver maximum results.
Applications: More than 18 different kinds of amino acids extracted from this brine shrimp are used as essential raw materials in skin care, spa, health & beauty, cosmetic, pharmacy, medicine, and food industries all over the world.
Due to the fact that the dead salts from Urmia Salt Lake have been reported to have the following benefits:
* Rheumatologic conditions: these dead salts are effective in balneotherapy of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, and Osteoarthritis. The minerals are absorbed while soaking, stimulating blood circulation.
* Common skin ailments: skin disorders including psoriasis and acne are relieved by regular soaking in water with added dead salts from Urmia Salt Lake. America’s National Psoriasis Foundation recommends dead sea salts as effective treatments for psoriasis. Researches have demonstrated hat the high concentration of magnesium in the dead salts from Urmia Salt Lake are instrumental in improving skin hydration and reducing inflammation.   * Allergies: the high concentration of magnesium and bromide in the dead salts from Urmia Salt Lake relieve allergic reactions by cleansing and detoxifying. * Skin aging: recent researches into the dead salts benefits from Urmia Salt Lake have proved a 40% reduction in the depth of wrinkling.  The dead salts from Urmia Salt Lake contain 21 essential minerals including zinc, magnesium, potassium, sodium, calcium, sulfur, iodine, and bromide.  All these minerals naturally occur in our bodies but must replenished, as they are lost throughout the day. These minerals are known to cleanse, treat, and detoxify our skin. The most important minerals of the dead salts have the following healing properties: * Zinc: it protects skin against windburn and sunburn. Internally, it’s an important factor in enzymatic regulation of cell proliferation. Zinc boosts the immune system as well. * Sulfur: is a powerful detoxifying agent, as it works closely with the liver to rid the body of toxins. Sulfur is a natural disinfectant (constituent of certain vitamins). * Magnesium: is essential for cell metabolism. It promotes quick healing of skin tissue and provides the skin’s surface with anti-allergic elements. * Potassium: regulates the nervous system. Potassium helps balance moisture in the skin and body, aiding in the reduction of water retention and in the nourishment of cells. * Bromide: relaxes body muscles, soothes skin, and calms nerves. * Sodium: is a powerful detoxifying agent, helping cells retain nourishment and expel waste. Sodium relieves stiffness and muscle cramps. * Iodine: is important for the correct functioning of the thyroid gland and is aids in the body’s metabolic exchanges. * Calcium: strengthens cell membranes and cleans pores. Calcium is an essential mineral that strengthens bones and teeth. Applications: The dead salt from Urmia Salt Lake is wonderful for use in a variety of applications such as bath salts, salt scrubs, foot scrubs, bath bombs, bath teas, body wraps and body polishers.  
Source http://tinyurl.com/5sen7fe

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Lakes Urmia , Van - April 15th, 2011

Several lakes can be observed in this image of southern Turkey, northwestern Iran and Iraq. In the upper left corner is Lake Van, in Turkey, surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
In the upper right quadrant is the southwestern part of the Caspian Sea, flanked by the Alborz Mountains of Iran. Between the Caspian Sea and Lake Van is the bright green Lake Urmia, in northwestern Iran, ringed by white salt flats. To the south, in Iraq, is Lake Tharthar, located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
Source of Picture
National Park Lake Urmia
Lake Urmia (Turkish Language : اورمو گولو , اورمیه گولو  ،Urmiye Gölü ; farsi: دریاچه ارومیه Daryâcheh-ye Orumiyeh; Kurdish: زرێچەی ورمێ Gola Urmiyê; , or بحيرة أورومية -Урмия Озеро - 爾米亞湖 - ימת אורמיה - オルーミーイェ湖 - উর্মিয়া হ্রদ - Lago di Urmia - Lago Urmía - Lac d'Urmia ) is a salt lake in northwestern Iran, near Iran's border with Turkey. The lake is between the provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan, west of the southern portion of the similarly shaped Caspian Sea. It is the largest lake in the Middle East, and the third largest salt water lake on earth, with a surface area of approximately 5,200 km² (2,000 mile²), 140 km (87 miles) length, 55 km (34 miles) width, and 16 m (52 ft) depth.
Ecology
National Park Lake Urmia (Orumieh in farsi), which lies in northwestern Iran, is home to some 212 species of birds, 41 reptiles, 7 amphibians, and 27 species of mammals, including the Iranian yellow deer.
The construction of a dam on part of the lake and the recent draught has significantly decreased the annual amount of water Urmia receives. This in turn has increased the salinity of Urmia's water, causing the lake to lose its significance as home to thousands of migratory birds, such as flamingoes.
The lake is marked by more than a hundred small rocky islands, which are stopover points in the migrations of various kinds of wild bird life (including flamingos, pelicans, spoonbills, ibises, storks, shelducks, avocets, stilts, and gulls).
By virtue of its high levels of salinity, the lake does not sustain any fish species. Nonetheless, Lake Urmia is considered to be one of the largest natural habitats of Artemia, which serve as food source for the migratory birds such flamingos. Most of the area of the lake is considered a national park.
The lake is a major barrier between two of the most important cities in West Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan provinces, Urmia and Tabriz. A project to build a highway across the lake was initiated in the 1970s but was abandoned after the Iranian Revolution of 1979, having finished a 15 km causeway with an unbridged gap. The project was revived in the early 2000s, and was completed in November 2008 with the opening of a 1.5 km bridge across the remaining gap. However, the high saline environment is already heavily rusting the steel on the bridge despite anti-corrosion treatment. Experts have warned that the construction of the bridge, together with a series of ecological factors, will eventually lead to the drying up of the lake, turning it into a salt marsh which will directly affect the climate of the region. Lake Urmia has been shrinking for a long time, with an annual evaporation rate of 0.6m to 1m (24 to 39 inches). The lake's salts are considered to have medical effects, especially as a cure for rheumatism. Lake Urmia is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a Ramsar site.
Urmia or (Turkish Language: اورمو, Urmu, Orumiyeh, Urmiye, Urmiya) is a city in Northwestern South Azerbaijan (Iranian Azerbaijan) and the capital of West Azerbaijan Province. The city lies on an altitude of 1,330 m above sea level on the Shahar Chaye river (City River). Urmia is the 10th populated city in iran and 2nd of Azerbaijanian Turks provinces after Tabriz. Urmia is the trade center for a fertile agricultural region where fruit (Specially Apple and Grape) and Tobacco are grown.An important town by the 9th cent.
The name Urmia or Urmu is thought to have come from Sumerian tongue, the earliest known civilization in the world located in southern Mesopotamia. Ur was a principle Sumerian city. Urmia, situated by a lake and surrounded by rivers, would be the cradle of water.The population of Urmia is predominantly Azerbaijanian Turks (over 90%), but with Kurdish,Assyrian and Armenian minorities.