Iran's Ministry of Energy: 113 New Dams Under Construction

The advisor to the Iranian Minister of Energy announced that 113 new dams are currently under construction, expressing hope that "three to four" of them will be operational by the end of the year. According to Mehr News Agency, Mohammad Haj Rasouliha stated on Friday, November 13, that "the priority among the 113 dams currently under construction is given to those with more than 25% physical progress." The continuation of the construction of these 113 new dams comes despite the Iranian Minister of Energy, Hamid Chitchian, stating on September 28 that the construction of some dams has been halted due to a lack of justification. The dam construction policies of previous governments and the ongoing construction of some new dams have drawn significant criticism from experts in recent years. Nevertheless, the construction of certain dams, including the Shafarud Dam in Gilan province, continues despite criticism from officials of the Environmental Protection Organization and non-governmental organizations. Some experts have cited dam construction as one of the reasons for the drying up of several lakes in Iran, including Lake Urmia. Meanwhile, Alireza Daemi, the Deputy Minister of Energy, previously reported that the construction of 40 new dams in the Lake Urmia basin has been halted. The advisor to the Minister of Energy also mentioned that 26 billion cubic meters of the country's strategic water reserves have been depleted. According to Haj Rasouliha, with an annual rainfall of 250 millimeters, Iran's renewable water resources have decreased from a total of 130 billion cubic meters to approximately 104 billion cubic meters. He also announced that in the past water year, rainfall decreased by 18% compared to the long-term average, with some areas experiencing reductions of up to 40%. In recent years, government officials have repeatedly warned about a "water crisis." Sattar Mahmoudi, the Deputy Minister of Energy, reported on May 2 that the amount of renewable water resources in the country has decreased from 135 million cubic meters to 110 million cubic meters, emphasizing that "Iran's strategic water reserves have turned negative." Meanwhile, according to Shahrokh Fateh, head of the National Drought Center of the Meteorological Organization, rainfall in the current water year has been 194 millimeters, which is about a 17% decrease compared to the long-term average. The water year or agricultural year runs from October 1 to the end of August. In this context, the Iranian Minister of Energy announced the halt of construction on some dams in the country. The Gotvand Dam could increase the salinity of the Karun River by up to "10 times." The government has approved the destruction of 100 hectares of Hyrcanian forests for dam construction, and there has been a 7.9% decrease in the water reserves of Iran's dams.