{"id":104775,"date":"2026-05-23T17:22:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T11:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=104775"},"modified":"2026-05-23T17:22:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T11:52:32","slug":"rivers-and-lakes-in-news-2025-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/rivers-and-lakes-in-news-2025-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Rivers and Lakes in News 2025-2026, National and International"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Rivers and Lakes in News 2025-2026<\/strong> were highlighted globally because of climate change, pollution, dam construction, droughts, floods, ecological decline and water management concerns. These water bodies are important for biodiversity, agriculture, trade, transport, hydropower and human settlements. Many of them also highlight the growing impact of human activities on fragile freshwater ecosystems.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Rivers and Lakes in News 2025-2026<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many important Rivers and Lakes in News 2025-2026 are due to environmental stress, geographical importance, floods, droughts, conservation concerns and strategic infrastructure developments worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Kunar River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India supported Afghanistan\u2019s proposed dam project on the transboundary Kunar River flowing through eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river originates from the Chiantar Glacier in the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/hindu-kush-himalayas\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Hindu Kush Mountains<\/strong><\/a> near Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral region of Pakistan.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kunar River joins the Kabul River in Afghanistan and the combined waters later merge with the Indus River in Pakistan.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Major tributaries include Lutkho, Landai Sin, Shishi and Pech River, making it part of the larger <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indus-river-system\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Indus Drainage System<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Seine River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Seine River became globally important after public swimming was permitted again for the first time since 1923.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river flows completely within France and passes through Paris, where it is joined by the Marne River near the city.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seine River empties into the English Channel at Le Havre and stretches nearly 775 kilometres across northern France.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its drainage basin covers around 79,000-80,000 square kilometres, making it France\u2019s second longest river after the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/loire-river\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Loire<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Zambezi River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Zambezi River remained in news because of water concerns and its importance for hydropower generation in southern Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It originates from the Kalene Hills in Zambia and flows through or borders Zambia, Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and DR Congo.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Victoria Falls lies on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border, while Kariba Dam forms one of the world\u2019s largest reservoirs by volume.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cahora Bassa Dam and Cahora Bassa Lake are important features located in Mozambique before the river drains into the Mozambique Channel.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Potomac River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Potomac River gained attention due to rising pollution levels and high E. coli contamination from untreated wastewater discharge.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river originates from Green Spring in West Virginia and drains into Chesapeake Bay along the Atlantic coast of the USA.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Washington D.C., the capital city of the United States, is situated along the banks of the Potomac River.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Potomac River was officially designated as the \u201cSister River\u201d of Japan\u2019s Arakawa River because both flow through national capital regions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Arakawa River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Japan\u2019s Arakawa River remained in discussions because of its ecological and cultural relationship with the Potomac River of the USA.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river originates from Mount Kobushi in Japan and drains into Tokyo Bay near the Japanese capital region.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tokyo is situated along the Arakawa River, similar to Washington D.C. being located on the Potomac River banks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cherry blossom landscapes along both rivers strengthened cultural exchange under the international \u201cSister River\u201d partnership initiative.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Tapaj\u00f3s River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brazil\u2019s Tapaj\u00f3s River entered news due to historic drought conditions and severe decline in water levels linked to climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river is entirely located within Brazil and forms an important part of the Amazon River Basin system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It originates in Mato Grosso and later joins the Amazon River before draining into the Atlantic Ocean.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dredging plans and water scarcity emergency declarations in lower stretches triggered concerns among indigenous communities and environmental groups.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Mekong River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Mekong River remained in focus because of sand mining, dam construction and ecological threats affecting Southeast Asia.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river originates in China\u2019s Tangula Mountains and flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intensive sand mining in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta disrupted natural sediment replenishment and damaged local ecosystems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tonl\u00e9 Sap Lake in Cambodia, Southeast Asia\u2019s largest freshwater lake, is also facing ecological stress due to upstream developments.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Paran\u00e1 River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Paran\u00e1 River witnessed ecological and economic concerns because of declining water levels affecting transportation and trade activities.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river basin spreads across Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay before draining into the Atlantic Ocean.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Falling water levels disrupted soybean oil transportation routes in Argentina and affected regional commercial navigation systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Important cities associated with the basin include Bras\u00edlia, S\u00e3o Paulo, Asunci\u00f3n and Buenos Aires across South America.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Great Ruaha River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Great Ruaha River in Tanzania faced severe environmental stress due to climate change and poor water management practices.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river originates in the Kipengere Mountains and flows through wetlands of the Usangu Valley and Ruaha National Park.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reports highlighted drying conditions in several stretches, threatening wildlife habitats and freshwater availability in the region.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It later joins the Kisigo and Kilombero Rivers before becoming part of the Rufiji River system draining into the Indian Ocean.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Colorado River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Colorado River remained important because of major water loss linked to climate crisis, glacier melt and prolonged drought conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river originates in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and drains into the Gulf of California near Mexico.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over 10 trillion gallons of water have reportedly been lost from the basin during the past two decades.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Major American cities such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego depend heavily on Colorado River water resources.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Yangtze River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">China\u2019s Yangtze River remained in international news because of flooding events and rising water levels near the Three Gorges Dam.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river originates from the Tangula Mountains and flows eastward entirely within China before entering the East China Sea.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is Asia\u2019s longest river at nearly 6,300 kilometres and the third longest river in the world after the Nile and Amazon.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fishing restrictions introduced on the river helped revive fish populations after years of ecological degradation and overexploitation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Flint River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Flint River in the United States witnessed environmental concern due to climate related stress, floods, droughts and human pressures.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river originates in Georgia, USA and ultimately drains into the Apalachicola River through Lake Seminole.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is recognised for rich biodiversity and ecological importance within the southeastern region of the United States.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increasing climate variability and expanding human activities are placing growing pressure on freshwater ecosystems of the river basin.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Herbert River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Australia\u2019s Herbert River became significant after severe flooding in North Queensland caused record rise in river water levels.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river originates from the Great Dividing Range and later drains into the Coral Sea connected to the Pacific Ocean.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Extreme rainfall and flood events highlighted the growing frequency of climate linked hydrological disasters in Australia.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Floodwaters affected settlements, transportation networks and agricultural regions dependent on the river basin for livelihoods.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Lohit River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lohit River remained important because of proposed hydroelectric projects and ecological sensitivity in the eastern Himalayan region.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lohit River is a major tributary of the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/brahmaputra-river-system\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Brahmaputra River<\/strong><\/a> and flows through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is sometimes called the \u201cRiver of Blood\u201d because of the reddish coloration observed in its waters.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river basin supports habitats of the endangered White Bellied Heron and forms part of the eastern Himalayan river system.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Litani River<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lebanon\u2019s Litani River gained geopolitical importance because of security concerns and defence activities near the river region.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Litani River is the longest river in Lebanon with an estimated length of nearly 170 kilometres.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The river has an annual water carrying capacity of around 750 million cubic metres supporting irrigation and water supply.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Israel\u2019s defence measures near the river area increased attention on the strategic importance of southern Lebanon\u2019s river systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Lake Sapanca<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lake Sapanca entered news due to water stress concerns and discussions over freshwater management in T\u00fcrkiye.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a tectonic freshwater lake situated in Sakarya Province between the Gulf of \u0130zmit and Adapazar\u0131 Meadow.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lake lies parallel to Lake \u0130znik and is surrounded by mountains in the south and smaller hills in the north.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small streams from nearby mountains feed the lake, which serves as an important domestic and industrial freshwater source.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Lake Turkana<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lake Turkana remained in news because of climate change, falling water levels and geological activity associated with tectonic movements.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lake lies mainly in Kenya\u2019s Great Rift Valley, while its northern extension reaches southwestern Ethiopia.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is the world\u2019s largest permanent desert lake and largest alkaline lake, popularly called the \u201cJade Sea\u201d due to turquoise waters.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Omo River contributes nearly 90 percent of total inflow, while Turkwel and Kerio Rivers are other important sources.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lake Turkana gained conservation importance because of its ecological and anthropological significance in East Africa.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Turkana Basin became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 because of exceptional natural and archaeological importance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The region is known as the \u201cCradle of Humankind\u201d because numerous hominin fossils have been discovered there.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lake Turkana also supports the world\u2019s largest breeding colony of Nile crocodiles within its fragile desert ecosystem.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Great Bitter Lake<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Great Bitter Lake remained important because of its strategic location within Egypt\u2019s globally significant Suez Canal system.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lake is a saltwater body located between the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea through canal connectivity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It originally existed as a dry salt valley before construction activities transformed it into a navigable water body.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Suez Canal route shortened maritime trade distance between Europe and Asia by nearly 7,000 kilometres.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Aral Sea<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Aral Sea continued to symbolise one of the world\u2019s worst environmental disasters caused by excessive human intervention.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is an endorheic saltwater lake situated between Kazakhstan in the north and Uzbekistan in the south.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lake lost nearly three-fourths of its volume and almost half its surface area due to irrigation overuse and dam projects.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diversion of Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers for agriculture became the primary reason behind rapid shrinkage of the Aral Sea.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Lake Tulare<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lake Tulare in California returned to news after reappearing more than a century after its disappearance.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lake revived during 2023 because of intense atmospheric river events and large inflows from nearby river systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kings, Tule and Kern Rivers originating from Sierra Nevada Mountains contributed to the lake\u2019s re-emergence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Historically, it was considered the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River in the United States.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Lake Chad<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/where-is-lake-chad-basin\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lake Chad<\/strong><\/a> remained important because of rapid shrinkage linked to climate change, irrigation demand and prolonged drought conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lake is shared by Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon in the Sahel region of Africa.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nearly 90 percent of the lake\u2019s area has disappeared over past decades because of water overuse and declining rainfall.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shrinking water availability increased migration pressures, socio-economic instability and competition over land and water resources.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Lake Kariba<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lake Kariba gained attention due to falling water levels affecting hydropower generation and regional energy security.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a large man made reservoir created on the Zambezi River during dam construction in the 1950s.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reservoir is shared between Zambia and Zimbabwe and remains important for electricity generation in southern Africa.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduced inflows and drought conditions negatively impacted aquatic ecosystems and hydroelectric power production capacity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Lake Retba<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lake Retba in Senegal remained significant because of environmental changes affecting its famous pink coloration and water levels.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lake is popularly known as the \u201cPink Lake\u201d because of halophilic algae thriving in highly saline conditions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rising temperatures and milder winters contributed to shrinking water levels and ecological stress within the lake.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lake Retba demonstrates how climate change can threaten even unique natural phenomena dependent on delicate environmental balance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Prespa Lakes<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prespa Lakes remained environmentally important because of shrinking water levels, pollution and transboundary conservation challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These freshwater lakes are located between Greece, Albania and North Macedonia in southeastern Europe.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lakes are recognised as Ramsar Sites because of their ecological significance and biodiversity importance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Climate change and pollution pressures increased concerns regarding long term sustainability of the fragile freshwater ecosystem.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Lake Urmia<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lake Urmia in Iran continued to attract global concern because of severe shrinkage caused by drought and river diversion projects.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is an endorheic salt lake and was once the largest saltwater lake in the Middle East.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zarrineh and Simineh Rivers feed the lake, while high evaporation levels increase overall salinity concentration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nearly 95 percent of its water has disappeared because of dam construction, water diversion and prolonged climate stress.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lake Urmia remained ecologically important because of its wetland ecosystem and biodiversity despite severe environmental decline.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lake is recognised as a Ramsar type wetland ecosystem with important ecological and conservation value.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High salinity conditions support specialised organisms and migratory bird species including flamingos.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drying conditions increased dust storms and environmental health risks for nearby settlements in Iran.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rivers and Lakes in News 2025-2026 highlights major global water bodies affected by climate change, floods, droughts, pollution, dams and biodiversity loss.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":104602,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[6773,7692],"class_list":{"0":"post-104775","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-studies","8":"tag-current-affairs","9":"tag-rivers-and-lakes-in-news-2025-2026","10":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104775"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104779,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104775\/revisions\/104779"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}