Hamid Chitchian, the Minister of Energy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, announced the implementation of a project to transfer "drinking water" from the shores of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman to 17 provinces in the central plateau of Iran. According to a report on Thursday, April 1, on the "Nasim Online" website, Chitchian stated that upon full implementation of this project, 45 million people in 17 provinces of the central plateau will benefit from this drinking water. He mentioned that the first phase of this project is being executed by the private sector, where "water will be desalinated in Bandar Abbas and transferred to Kerman." The Minister of Energy also announced the issuance of permits for water transfer to the provinces of Yazd, Isfahan, and Fars, adding that the financial resources for this project will be provided "from several banks and government sources." He further referred to the construction of "about 50 desalination plants along the coasts of the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf," with the aim of providing cities and villages in this region with fresh water. The Minister added that the ministry is "still at the beginning of the path of using desalination plants" and that in addition to supplying drinking water for residents of the coasts of the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf, "we must also transfer this fresh water to the central plateau." Iran is located in a dry and low-rainfall region and has always faced water problems, which have intensified in recent years. According to officials from the Ministry of Energy, over 550 cities in Iran are struggling with water scarcity, many of which are located in the central and southern parts of the country. Currently, 37 million people in Iran are facing water scarcity, which constitutes about 50 percent of the country's population. The improper use of groundwater resources has always been cited as one of the reasons for the worsening water crisis in Iran. Mohsen Renani, an economist and faculty member at Isfahan University, stated in June 2015 that "it must be accepted that the water crisis in Iran is much more important than the Yemen war." This economist predicted that in five years, "water wars" would begin in Iran and advised officials not to "play with the fire of water."
Iran's Minister of Energy: We Will Desalinate Persian Gulf Water and Transfer It to the Central Plateau
Iran's Minister of Energy announced a plan to desalinate water from the Persian Gulf and transfer it to 17 provinces in the central plateau, aiming to provide drinking water for 45 million people. This initiative comes in response to the ongoing water crisis affecting over half of Iran's population, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable water management.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Iran's Minister of Energy announced a project to desalinate water from the Persian Gulf and transfer it to 17 provinces in the central plateau to provide drinking water for 45 million people. The project involves building desalination plants and transferring water to areas facing severe water scarcity.
- The project aims to benefit 45 million people in 17 provinces.
- Desalination plants will be constructed along the coasts of the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran is situated in a dry region with chronic water shortages, exacerbated by climate change and poor water management. Desalination is seen as a potential solution to these issues.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%