TURKISH SCIENTISTS WARN LAKE VAN MAY DISAPPEAR IN DECADE
ARMENPRESS
May 15, 2008
YEREVAN, MAY 15, ARMENPRESS: Turkish scientists have warned that Lake
Van in the southeastern part of the country will disappear in the
next 10-15 years if no radical measures are applied to save it. Lake
Van is regarded the fifth biggest lake in Europe.
The warning came from the Turkish Association for Protection of
Water Environment.
Turkey.ru website reported that the association has included Lake Van
into a project called Boundless Blue Space. This project is designed
to radically change the situation on the lake’s shores.
Thousands of Turks have their summer holidays on the lake’s shores,
although 40 percent of them are no longer fit for health or fishing
purposes. The endemic species of fish, once abundant in its waters,
called tarekh, is on the verge of extinction.
The Turkish association says its goal is to preserve the lake for
next generations. It will organize special lectures for over 105,000
school and university students and many of them are supposed to take
part in an extensive clean-up of the lake’s shores.