Construction of Dozens of Dams in Iran Halted Due to Climate Change

The Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported that the Iranian Ministry of Energy has reconsidered some of its decisions, including the construction of 50 dams, due to 'climate change' in the country. As of Thursday, April 3, the construction of these dams has been removed from the agenda, despite prior 'planning' for their establishment. According to the report, the Ministry of Energy made this decision due to an increase in water evaporation from climate change by about 25 billion cubic meters and a 20% decrease in the country's surface water. ISNA noted that these two phenomena could pose a threat to the survival of the current and future generations. Additionally, the Ministry of Energy has specified and communicated the available water for planning across all 609 plains, including the maximum usable water for drinking, agriculture, industry, and the environment for each watershed and surface water. The agency added that statistics indicate that climate change in the water sector has led to a 10% decrease in rainfall and a 1.5-degree increase in Iran's temperature compared to the past two decades. These two issues have been identified as the main reasons for the increase in water evaporation and the decrease in surface water in Iran. Other climate change impacts in Iran include a 15% reduction in groundwater recharge and a decrease in snowfall compared to rainfall. The instability of snow resources, the earlier-than-normal melting of snow by one month, and an increase in the frequency of ineffective rains (less than 5 mm) have also been reported as further effects of climate change in Iran. According to ISNA, the most significant decrease in rainfall in Iran is attributed to the watersheds of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. Additionally, the watersheds of Bandar Abbas, Sadiq, Karun, and Karkheh have also witnessed a significant decrease in rainfall, leading to major cities facing challenges in providing drinking water. The report states that the losses from reduced rainfall in the provinces of Khuzestan, Fars, and Hormozgan have impacted people's lives, and the economic consequences of water shortages seriously threaten the economic activities of rural residents and farmers in the country. The drying of wetlands in various parts of the country and the emergence of dust and sand storms are also other effects of climate change that have created difficult conditions for residents in southern and eastern Iran. Hamid Chitchian, the Minister of Energy, had previously called for the halt of some dam construction projects in Iran, stating that the dams built in the Urmia Lake basin have had no positive results. Mr. Chitchian pointed out that the two-year review by the Ministry of Energy of dam construction projects identified changes in Iran's water conditions as the main reason for the unjustifiability of building new dams.