for therapeutic purposes. they would stay here for several days, he says. the ferry boats many used across the lake now lay stranded on the salty crust slowly rusting away. this google maps animation shows just how fast the lake has shrunk, going from 5,400 square kilometers in size to just 2,500 in about 30 years. lack of rain and water shortages are a problem all across iran. severe lack of water recently led to protests, some violent in the southwest of the country. iran s new president saying he will act. the matters have been detected, and i assure the people that the solutions have been delineated. iranian authorities say they ve made saving lake urmia a priority and that a halt to new dam projects and diverting other water sources towards the lake have at least slowed its decline. but the lake s salt content has