Water Crisis in Iran; Water Transfer, Unsystematic Agriculture, and Water-Intensive Industries Have Dried Up the Ancient Land

Kourosh Aladin – By searching for the phrase “water scarcity crisis” on social media pages or news agencies, one can find hundreds of reports about water shortages and crises in various parts of Iran; from rainy provinces like Golestan and Mazandaran to arid and desert regions like Sistan and Baluchestan. Authorities usually attribute the root of this crisis to rainfall levels and drought. However, at the same time over these years, news of floods caused by heavy rains has been published repeatedly.

Although Iran is located in the semi-arid region of the world, our ancestors, through proper management thousands of years ago, not only managed their daily lives, but sometimes built complexes like “Shahzadeh Mahan Garden” in the heart of the desert; a lush garden with natural fountains.

Iranians were even pioneers in managing underground water and through the invention of the qanat, were able to develop irrigation in the heart of deserts, to such an extent that the Greek “Polybius” in the second century BC described a qanat in the desert saying: “The Iranians mysteriously bring water to the surface of the earth.”

But how did it come to pass that the Zayandeh Rud, this artery of “half the world,” dried up in these years?

• Water Transfer and Agriculture

In the 1970s, during Mohammad Khatami’s presidency, a plan to transfer water from the Zayandeh Rud to Yazd province was implemented. In 1379, the Zayandeh Rud experienced drought for the first time in its existence. Subsequently, the water transfer project was expanded to other cities such as Kashan; a project that continues to expand through the digging of new tunnels. But the matter did not end there. The expansion of unprofessional agriculture with government encouragement led to the digging of various and multiple wells.

The late Parviz Kardavani, a prominent Iranian desert expert, believed that “drilling wells instead of qanats causes a sharp decrease in groundwater levels, land subsidence, and water salinity.” But instead of benefiting from the experience of our ancestors, the insistence on drilling wells – both authorized and sometimes unauthorized – continued.

Alongside these mistakes, the cultivation of unsuitable agricultural products also contributed to the problem. For example, in Falavarjan with an average rainfall of less than 240 millimeters, they undertook rice cultivation. This is while according to a resolution by the province’s Agricultural Jihad, provinces with rainfall below 800 millimeters are not permitted to grow rice.

• Water-Intensive Industries

Alongside unprofessional agriculture, the location and expansion of factories, industrial zones and consequently residential neighborhoods was another reason for creating the water crisis.

For example, Mahmoud Hosseini, who was governor of Isfahan from 1981 to 1984, told Hamshahri newspaper: “68 percent of the country’s steel, which is a water-intensive and polluting industry, is produced in Isfahan. In recent years, Mobarakeh Steel Company, steel industry, and the refinery have implemented their expansion phases extensively, which requires increased water consumption.”

The lack of expert oversight caused drinking water to be used for agriculture and industry, pushing the environment and nature toward destruction.

• The Death of Zayandeh Rud, The Death of Central Iran

The drying up of the Zayandeh Rud has not only caused the protests of citizens and unemployment of farmers, but also brings irreparable environmental damages. Ultimately, the course of Zayandeh Rud ends at the desert gem, namely “Gavkhuni Marsh,” which is now drying up.

The desiccation of this marsh, in addition to its catastrophic ecosystem effects, causes dust storms that will make even areas such as Tehran, Fars, and Lorestan uninhabitable.

However, these unprofessional behaviors are not limited to the Zayandeh Rud alone, but the same patterns can be observed in Khuzestan, Gilan, and other parts of Iran.

• Short-Term Solutions!

The water crisis in the Iranian plateau, which according to government officials will result in the forced migration of millions of tons, has affected the lives of Iranians, including farmers in Isfahan province, for years. However, apparently not only have long-term effective solutions to reverse this process not been presented, but even short-term solutions are neither scientific nor feasible.

Hamshahri Online wrote on October 6 that Hossein Mirzaei, Isfahan’s representative in parliament, said: “It seems the short-term solution to the Zayandeh Rud water crisis is to resort to the Infallibles and rain prayer.”

Source: Voice of America