Water crisis in Iran

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The Iran has for decades from an acute water shortage affected, although the last thirty years were considered the most extreme. Three quarters of the land area of ​​Iran are considered completely dry regions and 97 percent of the surface water has already dried up. In the dry regions, only between 50 and 100 millimeters of rain falls per year. If current politics and water consumption did not change, around 70 percent of the Iranian population , i.e. around 50 million people, would be forced to emigrate. Another problem is that three quarters of the population live in urban agglomerations that are in the middle of the driest areas. An example of this would be the city of Isfahan . According to estimates by the Iranian Meteorological Authority, 97 percent of the country are directly or indirectly affected by the drought.

According to the European Environment Agency , there is currently an acute water crisis in seven regions of the country. Eleven provinces of Iran are affected by so-called " water stress ", which means that the water demand for a defined period of time exceeds the amount of water available or the water cannot be used by the residents because it is of poor quality. Nowadays, Iran is a water importer.

In May 2018, the Kurdish news agency ANF reported that the water crisis in Iran would worsen. Hundreds of water sources in the province of Sistan and Balochistan in the southeast of the country have dried up and the residents are cut off from the water supply. Specifically, the springs in 343 villages in the region have dried up completely and there are problems with the water supply for the residents in 1,232 villages . The disaster is justified with the poor and inadequate management of the water sources. There is a lack of serious government measures to prevent lakes and rivers from drying out. Much water is used by the agricultural industry and for military projects. According to the Iranian energy minister, a total of 334 cities and thus around 35 million citizens are affected by the current water crisis.

The former Agriculture Minister of Iran Issa Kalantari spoke in the media that the acute water shortage is more dangerous for the country than Israel or the USA, which in the context of official Iranian rhetoric underscores the urgency of the problem. He said that Iran could be uninhabitable in the future. Another problem is the extreme air pollution associated with water shortages and desertification.

Consequences for waters in Iran - Lake Urmia and other examples

The Lake Urmia is a salt lake in northwestern Iran . The example of this lake is a good illustration of the ecological and economic damage caused by the water crisis in Iran. Its area is about ten times as large as that of Lake Constance . It is also the largest inland lake in the Middle East and, after the Dead Sea , the second largest salt lake on the planet.

Fifteen years ago, Lake Urmia was the largest salt lake in the country with an area of ​​around 4250 km². Today the lake has shrunk by a tenth. From 1998 to 2011 the surface of the lake dropped by 60 percent and the water level by seven meters. Other estimates assume 85 percent of the water surface. As a consequence, the salt concentration in the lake has increased dramatically to 300 g per liter. This value can otherwise only be measured in the Dead Sea. In addition to the ecosystem, the coastal inhabitants also suffer from the salinisation of the surrounding arable land. Salt from the dried-up seabed is blown onto land by the wind. The main reason for the drying out lies in the heavy use of the lake by people. Many tributaries were dammed to generate electricity, masses of water were used for agriculture and illegal as well as permitted wells are constantly gnawing at the region's groundwater supply. Lack of precipitation makes the situation worse. Due to the lack of water intake in summer and the high salt content, the otherwise greenish lake turns red. This is due to bacteria and algae that spread when the salt content is high.

President Rouhani announced that he wanted to save the lake. The Iranian cabinet started some projects to introduce more economical irrigation systems in agriculture and a better infrastructure . Furthermore, water should be stored and the devastation of the lake stopped. Yet there is a lack of government investment in research and restoration measures . Scientific circles question whether the lake can still be saved.

In order to compensate for the lack of financial resources in Iranian science, there is also a focus on cooperation with foreign countries. At the beginning of January 2014, the president set up a working commission for the preservation of the salt lake. German scientists from Cologne and the Universities of Bonn and Marburg are leading the way. In June 2012, the two universities founded the “Initiative Group Urmia Lake” (IGUL) in Bonn. The working group suggests increasing the amount of water that flows into the lake, regulated by dams , by a quarter and reducing the number of around 18,000 legal and illegal wells around the lake. According to Prof. Ahaf Zahmnzadeh, who represents the IGUL externally, the proposals from Germany were favorably recognized by the Iranian authorities. The implementation has not yet been started. In November 2013, the first international conference on rescue measures for Lake Urmia took place at the Free University of Berlin . A follow-up conference took place in Urmia in February 2014 . American experts were also present there.

Another prominent example is the Karun , the longest and only navigable river in Iran. The catchment area is considered part of the “fertile crescent”. The river and the date palms on its banks had their glorious place in the stories and myths of the region, such as in the Gilgamesh epic. Nowadays the river has dried up. In addition, many places are polluted by industrial waste and the surrounding ecosystem is destroyed.

The Hamounsee in the southeast of the country dried up in September 2001. Before that it was the largest freshwater reservoir in the country and a rich source of fish.

Consequences of the lack of water

The lack of water led to further drilling in the country to access groundwater reservoirs . As these water reserves dwindle, Iran has to contend with land subsidence. For example, the ground in the capital Tehran has sunk by 24 centimeters. In other cities in the country it is even up to 30 cm. Experts and authorities expect further annual reductions of up to 22 centimeters in Tehran. A value of three centimeters would be normal. There are cracks in the streets and houses are in danger of collapsing. Furthermore, this makes soils unusable for agriculture or building . In parts of the capital, cracks appeared on the facades of houses and doors could no longer be opened. Since Iran is generally located in a zone that is frequently affected by earthquakes , the effects of an earthquake could be made worse by soil erosion .

Another problem related to the lack of water is the increase in sandstorms and the deterioration of the air . This is due to the draining of swamps and bogs in favor of the oil demand on the eve of the revolution. The mainly affected region of Khuzestan holds 90 percent of Iran's oil reserves , but is still considered impoverished and is therefore affected by social tensions.

Causes of the water shortage

Climatic and geographical conditions

Around two thirds of the country are considered to be climatically dry or very dry. The Zagros and Alborz mountain ranges make this situation even worse. Most of the precipitation forms in the clouds in the west of the country. The clouds are intercepted by the two mountain ranges, so that the center and southeast of Iran benefit little from the rain. The average rainfall of 228 millimeters is less than one-fiftieth of the global average. Because of this, Iran became dependent on the supply of groundwater . Because of the excessive use, the extracted water became increasingly salty. The Iranian government attributes the cause of the water crisis solely to the changing climate , international sanctions and temporary droughts and, according to experts, overlooks political mismanagement and systematic waste of water.

Iran is not alone in the region with its water problems. An increase in the average temperature in the Middle East made the area less economical. For example, Iraq and Syria were also affected by water scarcity and the associated rural exodus . According to NASA , the 14-year drought in the region is the most serious of the past 900 years. The period from 1998 to 2012 is considered to be the driest.

Human causes

mismanagement

The disaster is considered man-made. To promote agriculture and energy supplies , the government began building a large dam in the 1990s. Today, Iran is building so many dams worldwide that the country ranks third in the number of dams built. During the term of office of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , the construction of the world's largest dam in the Lorestan province fell . Currently, the dams and outdated irrigation methods are considered the main causes of drought. In 2016, the government stopped further construction projects for dams, as the dams did not need to be completed due to the lack of water.

The strong involvement of Iranian politics with the construction industry and the related corruption and strict hierarchies make water management intransparent and inefficient. In addition, no balance was found between the country's economic development and consideration for the environment. In order to meet industrialization and the associated water requirements, environmental protection was neglected.

The strong population growth after the Islamic Revolution also contributed to a sharp increase in water demand in Iran.

Agriculture

Another good reason for the water problem is the ancient methods of irrigation in Iranian agriculture. In Iran, 93 percent of the water resources are used in agriculture. Only three to four percent are used as drinking water and around two to three percent are made available to industry. According to one estimate, around 70 percent of the water used for agriculture evaporates before it can even benefit the plants. The reason for the intensive agriculture of Iran is its implementation in the Iranian geostrategy : From the beginning of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran tried to gain economic independence in various branches of the economy in order to be able to withstand sanctions. Food production and thus agriculture play a decisive role in this.

One reason for the high water consumption in agriculture can be found in the time before the revolution. The American government supported the cultivation of sugar cane in Iran. Between 1962 and the 1970s, over 80,000 hectares were created for cultivation, which also led to social tensions, as people had to be relocated. Sugar cane is not a traditional crop in the region. It also requires an above-average amount of water and production uses pesticides to increase yield . These pollute the water. Due to the excessive use of groundwater, the soil is becoming too salty. Rice is also grown in other arid regions . Rice cultivation has a long tradition and is closely linked to Iranian eating habits, but it consumes an above-average amount of water during cultivation.

Wasted water in everyday life

Traditional gardens in the middle of the desert, adorned with fountains and English lawns, as well as a low level of caution when irrigating private and public facilities also contribute to the high water consumption in everyday life. In Tehran, the average water consumption is twice as much as in Western European countries.

The future solution to the problem: how does Iran react to the crisis?

At the beginning of January 2019 , a meeting was held in Razavi Khorasan to discuss the water crisis in the east of the country. The factual report revealed that in eastern Iran and because of the drying up of large parts of Lake Hamun, many hundreds of citizens have become unemployed or homeless. The head of the National Center for Strategic Studies for Agriculture and Water in the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mining and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Mohammad Hossein Shariatmadari stated that the water crisis in the country will culminate in the next five years. The negative climax resulted from the negligence of the past five decades. Oppositionists criticize that the Islamic Republic has failed to devote itself to environmental protection since it was founded.

The government is currently planning to build new water reservoirs and relocate depots, which citizens, like in the Isfahan area , dislike. Their protests were suppressed with the help of the police. The city is considered to be the center of Iran's top industries, which in addition to agriculture have to meet an enormous demand for water. Another measure taken by the state is the construction of desalination plants in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman . Scientists and even experts in government consider this solution to be impractical due to the long transport routes and the lack of sustainability. It is better to protect the environment sustainably in order to permanently master the problem. Further, sporadic protests took place in Khorramshahr near the border with Iraq . Residents complained about brown, dirty water coming from the pipes. In 2012 and 2016, farmers clashed with the police in Varzaneh , during which the farmers destroyed an important aqueduct from Isfahan to Yazd in protest . To temper the demonstrators, the government made compensation payments to the farmers. However, this was not seen as a permanent solution to the problem. New tunnels for transporting water from the Zagros Mountains were also discussed. The water crisis in eastern Iran has triggered rural exodus to cities in other regions of Iran.

Since 97 percent of the surface water in Iran has already dried up, it is questionable whether the crisis can be stopped. According to desert studies expert Pervez Kardevani, the country's water problems are irreversible . The last remaining option is more efficient water use and political reforms to reduce the extent of the crisis. An example of the latter would be training for farmers plus more efficient water use and fertilization methods. The problem here is the low literacy rate of around 20 percent among Iranian farmers. Another suggestion would like to better include the approximately 120,000 to 150,000 graduates of agricultural studies in the discourse so that their potential can be used for crisis management.

Ultimately, there is also a need for more efficient and solution-oriented coordination as well as a better exchange of information between the Iranian and international institutions. Meir Javedanfar names in an article in the Zeitschrift für Internationale Politik the need for domestic political unity to effectively solve the problem. It is to be welcomed that both President Rouhani and the commander of the Revolutionary Guards Ali Jafari have drawn attention to the urgency of the problem. Even if both sides recognize the problem, the proposed solutions and interests are not coherent.

The international community also stands by Iran's side. This is only the second time Iran has accepted foreign aid since the revolution. The Iranian government signed an agreement with "Inter 3", a working group of scientists and entrepreneurs from Germany . The cooperation aims to improve water management for the Zayande Rud river near Isfahan , as this river supplies 4.5 million people with water. In the past few years this stream had dried up. Javendafar proposes that Israel and the European Union be involved in aid to Iran. In this way, the fragile stability of the Middle East can be preserved and possible future migration flows prevented.

Increasing the efficiency of agriculture

Since the agricultural sector is largely responsible for Iranian water consumption , there is room for reform and improvement here too . For example, other crops could be grown that do not jeopardize the country's food security but are more likely to adapt to natural conditions and drought. In addition, water and energy prices could be increased to the extent that the “real” value of these resources comes into play. However, this would come with high political costs for the government as well as expected socio-economic costs for the population. Therefore, the implementation of this option is unlikely. Furthermore, the government could support regional and local structures, e.g. cooperatives, which coordinate local agriculture and ensure price stability. In addition, the government should create an efficient water market that is regulated and monitored by the state.

The possibility of a traditional solution

Large parts of today's Iran have been marked by drought throughout its history. Nevertheless, the Persians and other peoples managed to manage and use the water efficiently over the past 3000 years. A possible alternative to Western approaches to solving problems could be a return to traditional water management. Back then, so-called qanats were used for traditional irrigation. Many of these systems have outlasted history to this day, but are largely idle. Culturally and religiously, the responsible use of water is anchored in both Zoroastrianism and Islam : fair access to water, the avoidance of pollution and the organization of water distribution were religiously ordered and codified. The traditional systems and the associated cultural mindset, however, have largely been abandoned to conform to Western development models and practices. This was done to promote rapid development and industrialization of the country. Some authors propose to fall back on this cultural asset and this teaching in order to sensitize the citizens and to give a positive impression of the sustainable and responsible use of water.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e Water crisis in Iran: Tehran sags dramatically. Retrieved April 29, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k The great drought. April 29, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2019 .
  3. ↑ The great drought. April 29, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2019 .
  4. ↑ a b c The great drought. April 29, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2019 .
  5. ^ Paul-Anton Krüger Isfahan: Water crisis in Iran . In: sueddeutsche.de . July 8, 2018, ISSN  0174-4917 ( sueddeutsche.de [accessed April 29, 2019]).
  6. ↑ a b c Iran: "The water crisis will turn into a catastrophe". Retrieved April 29, 2019 (German).
  7. ↑ a b THE DESERT OF EDEN. In: THE ARTE MAGAZINE. May 15, 2018, accessed on April 29, 2019 (German).
  8. ↑ Iran's water crisis continues to worsen. Retrieved April 29, 2019 .
  9. ^ Zachary Keck, The Diplomat: Iran's Water Crisis: A Bigger Threat Than Israel? Retrieved April 29, 2019 (American English).
  10. ↑ a b c d THE DESERT OF EDEN. In: THE ARTE MAGAZINE. May 15, 2018, accessed on April 29, 2019 (German).
  11. ^ Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com): Help for Lake Urmia in Iran | DW | 02/18/2014. Retrieved April 29, 2019 (German).
  12. ↑ Satellite image of the week: A lake is disappearing . In: Spiegel Online . August 20, 2018 ( spiegel.de [accessed April 29, 2019]).
  13. ^ Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com): Help for Lake Urmia in Iran | DW | 02/18/2014. Retrieved April 29, 2019 (German).
  14. ↑ Satellite image of the week: A lake is disappearing . In: Spiegel Online . August 20, 2018 ( spiegel.de [accessed April 29, 2019]).
  15. ^ A b Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com): Help for Lake Urmia in Iran | DW | 02/18/2014. Retrieved April 29, 2019 (German).
  16. ↑ a b c d e f g h Foltz, Richard C .: Iran's Water Crisis: Cultural, Political, and Ethical Dimensions . Ed .: Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. 4th edition. No. 15 , 2002, p. 357-380 .
  17. ↑ Madani, Kaveh: Water Management in Iran . In: What is causing the looming crisis? (Ed.): Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences . tape 4 , no. 4 , 2012, p. 315-328 , 315 .
  18. ↑ a b c d e f g Madani, Kaveh: Water management in Iran: What is causing the looming crisis? In: What is causing the looming crisis? tape 4 , no. 4 , 2014, p. 315-328 .
  19. ↑ The great drought. April 29, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2019 .
  20. ↑ a b c Editor: Iran still has 5 years until the peak of the water crisis. Retrieved April 29, 2019 (German).
  21. ↑ Reflexive Water Management in Arid Regions: The Case of Iran on JSTOR. Retrieved April 29, 2019 .

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