Deputy Minister of Energy: Iran's Groundwater Resources Will Run Out in 10 Years

According to the Deputy Minister of Energy, if the extraction from strategic water resources in Iran continues at this rate, the country's groundwater resources will be depleted in 10 years. Alireza Daemi, Deputy for Planning and Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Energy, discussed the water crisis in Iran and the dire state of groundwater resources in an interview with the newspaper Shargh published on March 5. Mr. Daemi stated that 'Iran is in a state of water stress,' adding that 'not only our country but also many countries located in the dry belt of the earth face water scarcity issues.' He continued, 'According to international documents published in 2012, over 100% of our groundwater resources are being extracted; this means we are utilizing our strategic resources.' Alireza Daemi also announced that 'in the past decade, we have extracted an additional 110 billion cubic meters from our strategic resources,' emphasizing that 'if this continues, in 10 years, we will essentially have no significant groundwater resources left in the country.' According to this official from the Ministry of Energy, 'almost all surface water in Iran, including rivers, wetlands, and ultimately lakes, has been depleted.' Mr. Daemi also pointed out that 'since 2003, we have been stating that the condition of the country's groundwater is deteriorating and that we are experiencing land subsidence,' adding, 'Despite this, extractions are increasing day by day, and there has not been a year where this situation has improved.' The Shargh newspaper further reported on the water crisis by interviewing Ahmad Mohseni, head of the Water, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Committee at the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran. Mr. Mohseni stated regarding the oversight of groundwater that 'despite discussions on oversight and balancing during the last three development plans, the issue of illegal wells remains.' According to this member of the Expediency Council and based on statistics, '65% of the country's consumption, especially in agriculture and drinking, comes from groundwater, which is free of charge.' Mr. Mohseni emphasized that 'we have had a water deficit of 110 billion cubic meters over the past 10 to 15 years.' Misuse of groundwater resources has always been cited as one of the reasons for the intensification of water scarcity in Iran. Previously, Sattar Mahmoudi, Deputy Minister of Energy, pointed out that in 2015, with the addition of 10 more cities, the number of cities facing 'water stress' in Iran reached 527. Mr. Mahmoudi mentioned the preparation of eight sections of the 'Groundwater Resource Balancing Plan,' stating that with the approval and implementation of this plan, '5 billion cubic meters of groundwater resources will have the opportunity for restoration annually.' In this context, last year, Ahmad Ali Kikhah, an official from the Iranian Environmental Protection Organization, announced that extraction from Iran's groundwater has surpassed the disaster threshold, reaching 170 billion cubic meters. According to this official, currently, 75% of Iran's groundwater is being extracted, indicating that the situation has gone beyond a disaster. Mr. Kikhah stated to reporters that 'at the beginning of the revolution, 50 million cubic meters of water were extracted from aquifers, which has now increased to 170 billion cubic meters.' Mohsen Renani, an economist and faculty member at Isfahan University, also stated in June of this year that 'it must be accepted that the water crisis in Iran is much more important than the war in Yemen.' This economist predicted that within five years, a 'water war' would begin and advised officials not to 'play with the fire of water.' In this context, the number of victims of recent floods in Iran has reached 12. Eisa Kalantari stated: 'Water consumption in Iran has crossed the threshold of crisis.' 520 cities in Iran are at a critical point of water inventory and consumption.