Shocking Statistics: 97% of Iran’s Land Area Facing Drought
Over the past decade, the vast majority of Iran’s land area has been facing accumulated and long-term drought. According to published and official statistics from the National Drought Center, Tehran and 20 other provinces are suffering from severe drought.
The Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) published shocking statistics on Monday, August 8 (July 30) regarding the phenomenon of drought and water scarcity in Iran.
These statistics were released by the National Drought and Crisis Management Center of the Meteorological Organization. According to these figures, 97 percent of Iran’s land area is experiencing long-term drought.
Sadegh Ziaiian, head of the National Drought and Crisis Management Center of the Meteorological Organization, provided clarifications regarding these statistics in an interview with an ISNA student reporter.
Long-term and Severe Drought
The head of the National Drought Center stated the reviewed period as a 120-month span ending in June of the current year. Ziaiian said in this regard:
«Based on the 120-month index ending at the end of June, approximately 97 percent of the country’s land area is facing long-term drought at varying degrees. Of this, 5.5 percent are experiencing mild drought, 28.5 percent are facing moderate drought, 50 percent severe drought, and 13 percent are experiencing very severe drought.»
Accordingly, 63 percent of Iran’s land area is facing severe and very severe drought. According to statistics released by the aforementioned center, adequate water supply last year was limited to only 0.4 percent of Iran’s land area, and only 2.5 percent of Iran’s land area has a “normal situation.”
Severe Drought in Tehran and 20 Other Provinces
Ziaiian announced the level of drought in parts of Tehran, Alborz, Qazvin, East Azerbaijan, Isfahan, and Zanjan provinces as long-term severe and even very severe drought.
This is while the situation in southern provinces of the country, such as Khuzestan, Fars, Bushehr, and Sistan and Baluchestan, has been reported as more dire than in other provinces.
Based on the statements of the head of the National Drought and Crisis Management Center of the Meteorological Organization, long-term drought indices in different regions of Iran are considered reflections of water storage conditions.
It should be recalled that the consequences of this drought over the past weeks in cities of Khuzestan and Bushehr provinces caused widespread protests by the people of these regions.
Source: DW
