( CNN ) Lake Urmia , in northwest Iran , once bore the weight of a ton of people . The extreme salinity of what used to be the largest lake in the Middle East allowed people to swim and relax without sinking . Over the last 20 years , however , the salt lake has almost completely dried up along with the area 's agriculture and economy . According to the United Nations Development Program , the lake has shrunk by two-thirds since 1997 due to Iran 's water crisis and detrimental agricultural policies . President Hassan Rouhani has pledged $ 5 billion to fix the problem over the next 10 years , but can this buoyant wetland rebound ? That 's the hope of Meysam Mir Zendehdel , a documentary photographer from Tehran , Iran . In 2013 , Zendehdel took a trip to the lake with some friends . At the time , he had heard stories of the lake 's dissipation , but it was not until he witnessed it that he grasped the true devastation of the ecosystem . `` After seeing it , I found it an environmental and social disaster , '' he said . `` It was a tragedy . '' Zendehdel said it was a calling for him to document the dying lake and its effect on the community -- a photography project he said he will never finish . Abandoned ships and wooden planks are just some of the random remains that tell us water was once in abundance here . Social media . Follow @ CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography . The surrounding residential complexes and children 's playgrounds are now full of salt and dust and memories of a once-bustling neighborhood . Bleak and austere , the atmosphere appears completely desolate . Some people still live there , according to Zendehdel , but most moved out to neighboring villages after their farms were depleted . `` When you walk on dried crystal of salt , in the absolute silence , you hear just the sound of cracking salt crystal . You remember that the sound of water in this area had been people 's life , and it 's very disappointing that that silence of the lake has silenced the life , '' Zendehdel said . Like the washed-up boat in Urmia Lake , Zendehdel 's passion to document the drought is strikingly clear . `` I believe that it is my duty to show realities and facts , and the judge is up to audiences , '' he said . Meysam Mir Zendehdel is a documentary photographer from Tehran , Iran . You can like him on Facebook and Instagram .
Iran 's Lake Urmia used to be the largest lake in the Middle East . But the salt lake has shrunk by two-thirds since 1997 . Score: 6