Iranians are fighting a 'water crisis'

Iranians are urged to reduce water consumption as dam levels drop

Farmers in the United States are suffering from a nationwide water shortage

The shortfall is similar to an overdrawn account

By Sanam Mahoozi

The water levels in the dams surrounding the capital are at an all-time low. Water rationing is expected this summer, as the country wilts from a severe drought.

As water levels decline, lakes are disappearing and farmers are struggling. In cities, huge sinkholes appear.

The kitchen taps often run dry, and students are concerned about the washing.

Last week, the managing director of Tehran’s Water and Sewage Department announced that reserves at key dams which supply nearly all of the city’s drinking water had dropped to their lowest level in history. They were only 5% of their capacity.

Mohsen Ardakani, urging residents to reduce water consumption by 20% or more before the New Year celebrations that begin on March 20.

He said, "This is not an option or a choice -- it's essential to get us through these difficult times."

Local media broadcast images of the Alborz Mountains north of Tehran, where the Amir Kabir Dam (which is only 6% full) was almost empty and the Latian Dam (10% full). The capital has seen a 17% drop in rainfall compared to last year and is 42% below its long-term average.

The TV reports that there might not be enough water for us to drink tomorrow. I worry about the impact this is having on my family's mental and physical well-being every night.

My father is afraid of taking showers, and my mother is scared to drink water containing the medication she needs to treat her kidney condition. "They say they want the water to be saved for the younger generation to survive and use," she said.

Kaveh Madani, former deputy director of Iran's Department of Environment and the Director of the U.N. University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health, UNU-INWEH, stated that the country is experiencing "water bankruptcy".

"If water resources were viewed as assets, surface water would be a checking and savings account while groundwater is a bank account, Iran has depleted their reserves leaving the public in a similar situation to a bank account that's overdrawn," Madani said.

FARMERS SUFFER

Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of the Tehran Council, said that the rapid urbanization made it impossible for the 19,000,000 people living in the capital city and its surrounding areas to maintain their current consumption levels.

Pezeshkian stated that "scientists and experts must sit down and solve the water problems of the city."

Iran's National Water Information and Data Office reports that the water flow into dam reservoirs in Iran is 28% lower than last year. Storage levels at some dams in 10 provinces are now less than 15%.

Reservoirs are located near Isfahan and Zanjan provinces. Summer temperatures can reach over 50 degrees Celsius.

Scientists claim that the main causes of water shortages have been mismanagement over decades, inefficient farming practices and an increasing population. However, climate change has also exacerbated this problem.

Mohsen Megaran, assistant Professor of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, California, stated that agriculture, which is responsible for 90% of Iran’s water consumption, is the primary driver of the crisis.

He said: "While it is understandable that Iran only receives about a fourth of global average rainfall, agricultural productivity remains low in comparison to this limited rain."

A 36-year old farmer in East Azerbaijan, northwest Iran, said that water shortages are driving farmers from the area surrounding Lake Urmia. Once the largest saltwater lake in the Middle East, the area is now a vast, desert.

Our wells and groundwater have also dried up. "Our wells and underground water have also dried up," said a farmer from Bonab Village, who refused to reveal his name out of fear of reprisals.

The government only digs deeper wells. "I don't think we have anyone left to whom we can express our sorrow and pain."

Iran is already under pressure from U.S. Sanctions, as more than 4 million people are employed in agriculture, which represents 80% of the country's economy.

Mesgaran said that it is difficult to reduce the agricultural activity of these farmers unless government provides alternative employment opportunities.

LAND SUBSIDING

Land subsidence has been caused by excessive extraction of groundwater and its depletion for agriculture. Cracks and sinkholes have appeared in cities and sometimes even swallowed whole cars.

In Tehran, land subsidence rates are 31 cm per year.

Any land under highways or airports in industrial cities like Isfahan Khashan Yazd now faces the risk of collapsing.

Water shortages disrupted the most basic of routines for a 25-year old psychology student in Shiraz in south-central Iran.

The student said, "It is getting harder to do simple things like wash my face and body. Sometimes I have to sit for hours before the water comes back on." She did not wish to be identified for fear of repercussions from the authorities.

(source: Reuters)