Note: This report is a follow-up to a first report: Contribution of the Iran’s “Water Mafia” in Water Bankruptcy
Dr. Khalil Khani, Professor Emeritus, Tehran University
Dr. Khalil Khani is an Environmental Specialist and a Human Rights activist. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Botany, and Environmental Studies from Germany and has taught at the University of Tehran and the Hesse State University in Germany. He is also a Doctor of Medical Psychology from the United States.
Water scarcity is a significant issue in Iran, which is regarded as one of the driest countries in the world. The water crisis and successive droughts in Iran are fueling people’s frustration with the government. While part of this crisis is rooted in climate change, a huge part of this problem stems from the government’s inefficient policies and failure to address the country’s water shortages. This has caused unrest among Iranians, who blame the government for the water crisis that already is gripping the country.
The large demonstrations by Iranians in the provinces of Isfahan in November 2021 and Khuzestan in July 2021, and the violent treatment of the protesters by the authorities revealed the government’s lack of a concrete policy to tackle the water crisis as well as its lack of tolerance toward peaceful protests. The government’s failure to devise an effective water strategy and aggressive behavior toward its people will only further increase internal tensions and social disturbances, which ultimately has led to the deterioration of the legitimacy of the regime in the eyes of Iranians. Who are faced with economic hardships and rising massive inflation in addition to the water crisis.
The country’s water resources are heavily reliant on rainfall and the limited water supply is being rapidly depleted due to evaporation, climate change and human activities such as overuse and mismanagement of resources and pollution.
In recent years, Iran has experienced a series of droughts that have exacerbated the water crisis. The drought in 2021 was one of the most severe in recent memory. The situation is particularly dire in the central regions of Iran, where farmers and rural communities are struggling to access water for their daily needs and agriculture. In addition, the water crisis has also led to social and political unrest in some regions of Iran, with protests erupting over water shortages and mismanagement.
To rescue itself from the water crisis, Iran needs to implement a combination of water management strategies, including improving agricultural water efficiency, investing in infrastructure, and diversifying water sources. Addressing the crisis also requires implementing stricter consumption regulations, raising public awareness, and promoting water-efficient technologies.
To address the water crisis, the Iranian government must launch various serious initiatives, including a transparent water policy, every aspect of the construction of dams and water transfer projects be shared with the stakeholders, especially public, as well as programs aimed at reducing water usage in agriculture and industries. However, these efforts have been hindered by secret decision makers, special interests, sometimes lack of funding, lack of technical expertise, and political will.
Overall, the water scarcity in Iran is a complex and multifaceted issue that requires a comprehensive approach involving not just government action but also public education, conservation, and international cooperation. Without urgent and sustained action, the situation is likely to worsen, with severe consequences for the people and the environment.
The mostly arid or semi-arid climate on the Iranian plateau has posed critical water-management issues for millennia, which the area’s residents have learned to cope with. In particular, the communal underground canal system of the qanat allowed for the watering of places often located far away from rivers, springs, and wells. Qanat is an irrigation system based on an ecological design that was conceptualized as early as 550 BCE, one that perfected the art of water distribution on the basis of gravity.
In part thanks to the Qanat, agricultural systems developed in Iran and provided the backbone of its various civilizational ages. Water-distribution infrastructure supported territorial integration, exchanges between urbanizing centers and rural hinterlands, and the economic strength of the country. Water management was and remains a pillar of stability or a cause of instability for Iran.
The qanat fell into disrepair as modern irrigation technologies and infrastructure were introduced, and with the shift toward intensive forms of agriculture. Such intensive farming now contributes to the exhaustive use of surface water and well pumping, further desiccating landscapes as a result. The combination of various human-related drivers (including the construction of dams and monocultures) has contributed to the depletion of water resources (a trend that has made Iran more vulnerable to climate disruptions), to the weakening of biodiversity, and to the worsening of water and food insecurity.
To effectively address Iran’s severe water crisis, Iranians need to implement a multi-faceted approach incorporating several serious initiatives. However, before doing anything a holistic plan about the natural capacities of any province or watershed must be prepared. This plan should be the existing baseline condition of soil, vegetation, geology, geomorphology, water resources, potentials, other influencing factors, uses and stakeholders.
1. Prioritize Water Governance and Policy Reform, Establish a Comprehensive National Water Management Plan: This plan should prioritize sustainable water use across all sectors, incorporating scientific data, environmental impact assessments, and stakeholder input.
Strengthen Regulatory Frameworks: Implement stricter regulations on water extraction, particularly for agriculture and industry, and ensure effective enforcement.
Promote Transparency and Accountability: Increase transparency in water resource management and project budgeting to curb corruption and ensure responsible allocation of funds.
Empower Local Communities and Stakeholders: Involve local communities, farmers, and civil society in water management decisions and planning to ensure equitable distribution and sustainable practices. Involving local communities, farmers, and civil society in water management in Iran is crucial for addressing the country’s water scarcity challenges. This requires a move away from centralized, top-down decision-making towards a more inclusive and participatory approach. Local knowledge, expertise, and community-based solutions are essential for effective and sustainable water management.
2. Implement Water Conservation and Demand Management Measures, Modernize Irrigation Systems: To address Iran’s water scarcity, implementing water conservation and demand management measures is crucial. This involves improving water use efficiency in various sectors, including agriculture, industry, and domestic use, as well as managing water resources effectively through infrastructure and policy.
Invest in and promote the adoption of water-efficient irrigation technologies like drip irrigation and sprinkler systems to reduce agricultural water consumption.
Promote Water-Saving Practices in Agriculture: Encourage farmers to adopt water-efficient cropping patterns, drought-resistant crops, and soil conservation techniques.
Raise Public Awareness and Promote Water Conservation: Launch public awareness campaigns to educate citizens about the importance of water conservation and encourage water-saving habits in households and industries.
Introduce Water Pricing Mechanisms: Consider implementing tiered water pricing structures to incentivize efficient water use and discourage excessive consumption, especially in water-intensive industries. Implementing tiered water pricing structures in Iran, especially for agricultural water usage, could incentivize efficient water use and address water scarcity. This approach would involve charging different rates for water based on usage levels, with higher rates for excessive consumption. This would encourage farmers to adopt more efficient irrigation techniques and potentially shift to less water-intensive crops.
3. Enhance Water Supply and Infrastructure:
Invest in Wastewater Treatment and Reuse: To address water scarcity in Iran, expanding wastewater treatment infrastructure and promoting safe reuse of treated wastewater is crucial. This involves increasing the number of wastewater treatment plants, improving their quality, and encouraging the use of treated wastewater for agriculture and landscaping, while also ensuring public acceptance and safety.
Expand wastewater treatment infrastructure and promote the safe reuse of treated wastewater for agriculture and industry to reduce reliance on freshwater sources.
Improve Water Distribution Networks: Modernize and upgrade aging water pipelines to reduce water losses due to leaks and improve the efficiency of water delivery. Modernizing and upgrading Iran’s aging water pipelines is crucial for reducing water losses and addressing the country’s water crisis. This involves replacing old, leaky pipes with modern materials and implementing leak detection and repair systems. Upgrades can also include technologies like smart meters and pressure management systems to further optimize water distribution and reduce non-revenue water.
Explore Rainwater Harvesting Scheme: Rainwater harvesting in Iran holds significant potential as a sustainable water management solution, particularly in light of the country’s water scarcity challenges and the historical use of traditional water harvesting methods. Harvesting rainwater can help mitigate water shortages, reduce reliance on groundwater, and improve urban water management. Iran has a long history of rainwater harvesting, with traditional systems like Qanats and Ab-Anbars playing a vital role in water management. Modern RWHS can build upon these traditional methods, incorporating innovative technologies for efficient water collection and storage. Examples include rooftop collection systems, runoff diversion from asphaltic roads, and ground reservoirs for storing harvested water.
Iran must also implement serious strategies to address flood control and enhance groundwater recharge. Particularly, in the context of its arid and semi-arid climate. Here are some key approaches along with a strong approach in watershed, rangelands management and soil conservation programs.
Flood Control Measures: Dams Construction, Iran has been among the top dam builders in the world or at least in statistics. While primarily for water storage and hydropower generation, which also play a significant role in flood control by regulating water flow and routing floodwater. However, due to a corrupt and inefficient system, it hasn’t been able to provide enough water for the people’s consumption.
Flood Diversion and Spreading: Techniques like flood spreading and spate irrigation could be used to divert flood waters away from populated areas and spread them across land, allowing water to infiltrate the soil and replenish aquifers.
Spate Irrigation: This involves diverting flood water to agricultural fields, allowing it to infiltrate the soil and recharge groundwater while also irrigating crops.
Floodwater Harvesting: Capturing and storing flood water in reservoirs and underground aquifers for later use is a traditional practice in Iran and is being further developed to maximize its benefits.
Groundwater Recharge Initiatives: Artificial Recharge of Groundwater (ARG). This method involves actively diverting surface water, including floodwater, to replenish aquifers through various techniques like infiltration basins and recharge wells.
Floodwater Harvesting for Recharge: As mentioned, floodwater harvesting not only helps in flood control but is also a critical component of artificial recharge efforts.
Explore Alternative Water Sources: Consider investments in seawater desalination, especially in coastal regions, while ensuring environmental sustainability and addressing the high energy demands of desalination technologies. Seawater desalination in Iran can be economical, feasible, and sustainable, particularly with the use of renewable energy sources like solar power. While the initial investment can be high, the long-term benefits of increased water supply and reduced reliance on dwindling resources make it a viable option for addressing Iran’s water scarcity challenges.
Focus on Sustainable Dam Management: Optimize the management of existing dams and ensure that environmental impact assessments are conducted before building new dams. To optimize dam management in Iran, several approaches can be taken, including developing comprehensive water management plans, implementing water-efficient agricultural practices, and utilizing advanced optimization techniques. These strategies aim to maximize water resources, improve water quality, and minimize environmental impact.
4. Strengthen International Cooperation:
Engage in Water Diplomacy: Actively engage in diplomatic efforts with neighboring countries to establish water-sharing agreements and address transboundary water issues, such as the Helmand River dispute with Afghanistan.
Seek International Expertise and Technology: Partner with international organizations and countries with experience in water management to access technical expertise, financial resources, and innovative solutions.
5. Address Climate Change Impacts:
Integrate Climate Change Adaptation: Iran should integrate climate change adaptation measures into water management strategies to address the growing water scarcity challenges caused by climate change. This includes a shift from solely focusing on supply-side solutions like dams and large-scale projects to more holistic, system-thinking approaches that incorporate demand-side management, conservation, and nature-based solutions to address the increasing risks of drought, floods, and extreme weather events.
Invest in Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Build water infrastructure that is resilient to climate change impacts, such as drought-resistant water storage facilities and flood control systems.
Above mentioned ideas are few scientific and water engineering methods useful to prevent water bankruptcy in Iran. However, prior to implementation of these ideas, there should be a national political will in order to overcome this obstacle. Overall the Environmental crisis, at the heart of it or may be the main triggering issue, water scarcity is the direct result of implementing wrong clerical regime national policies. In other words, it is a government created disaster. Environmental degradation trauma that has implemented one person totalitarian rule.
As we all know, historical data are an indication and proof of the claim that Persian civilization has grown and built beautiful cities in the same arid and semi-arid areas during the millennia by the invention of bringing water from far distances to their cities. One should always build on the traditional knowledge to overcome the most pressing issues.
By implementing these initiatives, Iran can begin to tackle the complex and multifaceted water crisis and build a more sustainable and secure water future for the country.
* Khalil Khani is an Environmental Specialist and a Human Rights activist. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Botany, and Environmental Studies from Germany and has taught at the University of Tehran and the Hesse State University in Germany. He is also a Doctor of Medical Psychology from the United States.