Iran Among Countries Facing Water Stress; Global Institute: Protests Will Increase

The Global Institute for Water Resources, in a report ahead of World Water Day on March 23, identified Iran as one of the 25 countries worldwide facing the most severe water scarcity and stress, stating that problems in Iran will worsen with increasing water tensions. Other countries include Qatar, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Oman. Cyprus, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Botswana, Chile, San Marino, Belgium, Greece, Tunisia, Namibia, South Africa, Iraq, India, and Syria were also mentioned as countries facing water stress. The report published on the institute's website indicates that these 25 countries, which contain a quarter of the world's population, face extremely high water stress annually and regularly utilize nearly all of their available water resources. The Global Institute added that this situation means these countries 'use more than 80% of their renewable water resources for irrigation, livestock, industry, and domestic needs.' The institute's report notes that even a short-term drought puts these countries at risk of running out of necessary water, sometimes forcing governments to take emergency measures. The institute predicts that global water demand will increase by 20 to 25 percent by 2050 and added that the number of regions facing less water each year is expected to rise by 19 percent. According to this report, the situation for the Middle East and North Africa means that 100% of the population in these regions will face severe water stress by 2050. The Global Institute added that this situation is not only problematic for consumers and water-dependent industries but also detrimental to the political stability of countries. The report cites Iran as an example where decades of poor water management and unsustainable water use for agriculture have led to protests and warned that tensions will escalate with worsening water stress. Nikahang Kowsar, a water expert, told Voice of America that the water scarcity in various countries, including those in the Middle East, has multiple causes, including population growth, unsustainable development, overconsumption, and the effects of climate change such as changes in precipitation patterns and increased evaporation. He added that the lack of proper governance in water management and inadequate management has made life harder for citizens, and over-extraction of aquifers to meet the water needs of farmers and cities has led Iran to a state of water bankruptcy. Mr. Kowsar emphasizes that top-down decision-making, lack of democratic behavior in management, and absence of participation in the decision-making process are among the factors exacerbating difficult conditions in many regions of Iran. He adds that given the severe depletion of groundwater tables and the failure to replenish extracted water, it is expected that in the coming years, water shortages in some areas of Iran will lead to instability and severe tensions. According to Nikahang Kowsar, considering the Islamic Republic's unwillingness to change its water management approach and the existing corruption, discussing improvements seems unreasonable. The Global Institute's report also indicates that at least 50% of the world's population, around 4 billion people, live under water scarcity conditions for at least one month of the year, threatening people's livelihoods, food security, and energy. The Global Institute emphasized that water plays a crucial role in crop growth, livestock raising, electricity production, human health, community strengthening, and improving the world's climate, stating that without better water management, population growth, economic development, and climate change will be exacerbated by increasing water stress.