Warning about Water Shortage in Summer; ‘250 Cities’ in Iran Face Water Stress
The Deputy Director of Management and Supervision of Water and Wastewater Engineering Company of Iran says that due to decreased rainfall in the current year, Iran will face water shortage problems in the summer of 1400 (2021-2022), and accordingly, the number of cities experiencing water stress will increase to 220-250 cities.
According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Power, rainfall in the country during 11 months of the current solar year has decreased by 38 percent compared to last year and 29 percent compared to the long-term average.
Of course, the government, by reducing hydroelectric power generation, has managed to somewhat prevent the emptying of dam reservoirs; a matter that, according to the Ministry of Power statistics, has caused the country’s hydroelectric power generation in the period from Farvardin to the end of Esfand this year to decrease more than 28 percent compared to the same period last year, and the country’s electricity imports have also more than doubled.
According to the IRNA news agency report, Hamidreza Kashfi, Deputy Director of Management and Supervision of Water and Wastewater Engineering Company of Iran, said on Sunday, the 24th of Esfand, that last year more than 25 percent of water was consumed without revenue, of which 13 percent was apparent waste, 11 percent was actual waste, and 1.4 percent was authorized consumption without revenue.
He cited “deterioration of the water network” in the country as part of the reason and said that currently 24 percent of the length of the country’s water network is over 25 years old, a portion of which is obsolete: 20 percent of the network length should be renovated each year, but this is not happening, because companies cannot charge the full service cost to people.
According to the Ministry of Power statistics, the cost of water production in Iran is approximately double the average price of water sales.
The entry of new cities into water stress comes at a time when in recent years heavy rainfall has occurred in some parts of the country and many cities and villages have been flooded, but the necessary infrastructure to control water and use it does not exist.
For example, while the southern provinces of the country, including Khuzestan, which according to a parliamentary report, 800 villages of which face water stress, have been facing flooding and inundation of residential areas in recent years.
Flood in November of this year affected more than seven provinces in Iran, and in two provinces of Bushehr and Hormozgan at least seven people lost their lives and 1,200 houses were flooded in Khuzestan.
Statistics from the Ministry of Power show that the greatest decrease in rainfall has occurred in the eastern regions of the country and the rainfall amount has dropped to one-fifth of last year.
Mr. Kashfi also said that the outbreak of coronavirus in the country has increased water consumption such that in some areas up to 40 percent increase in consumption occurred.
Source: Radio Farda
