It Will Take 20 Years to Restore the Country's Underground Water Resources

Rahim Midani, Deputy Minister of Energy of Iran, stated in an interview with Mehr News Agency on Sunday, June 31, that 'It will take 20 years to restore the country's underground water resources.' He further emphasized that the Ministry of Energy and the water sector are very serious about addressing these issues, noting that 'Our country has faced problems due to climate change and excessive extraction of underground water resources.' The Deputy Minister also stressed the need for fundamental action to reduce the impacts of climate change, adding, 'According to calculations, an investment of 10 billion rials is needed to supply one liter per second of underground water.' This official from the Ministry of Energy stated that Iran has become vulnerable to climate change, saying, 'The country's renewable water resources have decreased from 130 billion cubic meters per year to 104 billion cubic meters, and due to climate change, the temperature has also increased by 1.5 degrees Celsius, which has led to increased evaporation.' Midani continued by stating that the issue of underground water resources is more complex than climate change, adding, 'Approximately 6 billion cubic meters are extracted annually beyond the capacity of underground aquifers, and over-extraction has existed since the natural rainfall periods, but this trend must change under current conditions.' On the other hand, the spokesperson for the Energy Commission of the Parliament announced that rainfall in the current water year has decreased by 14% compared to the previous year, stating that the Minister of Energy will visit the Energy Commission after the parliamentary recess to review the country's water situation. According to the House of the Nation website, Hossein Amiri Khamakani referred to the Deputy Minister's report on the overall water situation, resources, and dam reserves, stating that the situation of water resources and consumption is not good and requires special management and attention. This parliament member further added, 'The water situation in the country has severely decreased compared to the long-term and mid-term of the last 40 years, such that in the current water year, rainfall has decreased by 14% compared to the previous water year and by 21% compared to the long term.' Previously, the Deputy Minister of Energy of Iran announced that in 2015, with the addition of 10 more cities, the number of cities facing 'water stress' in Iran reached 527. Sattar Mahmoudi stated on June 23 that Sanandaj, Bandar Abbas, Kerman, Isfahan, and East Tehran have more severe water scarcity conditions compared to other cities. According to officials from the Ministry of Energy of Iran, water consumption in Iran 'is twice the global average and has crossed the red line.'