300 Cities in Iran Facing Water Stress

On Sunday, July 2, the Deputy Minister of Energy for Water and Wastewater Affairs announced that 300 cities in Iran are at the point of water stress. According to ISNA news agency, Rahim Midani stated, "Currently, despite the measures taken, 300 cities are at the water resource threshold, such that if repairs to facilities take too long, we will face empty reservoirs." He had previously mentioned that 6 metropolitan areas and 289 cities in Iran are at risk of water stress. This official from the Ministry of Energy emphasized that ensuring drinking water requires various measures, adding, "The mere existence of water behind dams cannot be a reliable option for water supply, as attention must also be paid to the repair of facilities and new projects." He also pointed to financial resource limitations and stressed that this is why projects cannot be executed according to schedule, resulting in water stress in some cities. Water stress is a term used to describe the shortage of water for residents of a region. This situation arises when the demand for water in a region exceeds the available resources. Rahim Midani described the situation in Isfahan province as "serious," adding, "In Isfahan, it can even be said decisively that we are at a lower stage than the threshold, and the shortage of water resources in this province is seriously evident." He clarified that even if all of Iran's dams are full, if consumption exceeds the standard level, the facilities cannot deliver water to consumers. The announcement of 300 cities facing water stress comes as Aladdin Boroujerdi, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, reported on Friday that the water crisis in Iran has become "security-related." During a visit to the outskirts of Mashhad, Boroujerdi also criticized the neglect of water shortages in Iran over the past years. He added that due to the security implications of the water crisis, a Water Security Committee has been formed within the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission. Reports indicate that the agricultural sector in Iran accounts for 90% of water consumption; a sector that largely uses inefficient irrigation methods. Boroujerdi also stated on Friday, "In many of the country's rivers, wastewater enters the water, destroying clean water." Previously, Reuters reported that the main threat currently facing Iran is the depletion of the country's water resources, which has led to discussions of water rationing in some cities. Gary Lewis, the UN resident representative in Iran, told Reuters that water scarcity has now become the main human security challenge in Iran. Earlier in April, news agencies reported that the Iranian Ministry of Energy had reconsidered the construction of 50 dams "due to climate change" in the country. The construction of these dams was removed from the agenda despite having been "planned" for their establishment. The Ministry of Energy announced that due to increased evaporation of water resources caused by climate change by about 25 billion cubic meters and a 20% reduction in the country's surface water, this decision was made. Statistics indicate that climate change in the water sector has led to a 10% decrease in rainfall compared to two decades ago and a 1.5-degree increase in Iran's temperature. These two issues have been identified as the main causes of increased evaporation of water resources and reduced surface water in Iran. Other climate changes in Iran include a 15% reduction in groundwater recharge and a decrease in snowfall compared to rainfall.