Land Subsidence in Iran's Plains; Tehran, Isfahan, Fars, Qazvin, Kerman, and Razavi Khorasan at Risk

A senior official from the Geological Organization of Iran has warned that the phenomenon of land subsidence is progressing in most of the country's plains. Amir Shamshaki, the deputy of the Geological Organization of Iran, stated that high rates of subsidence are observed in the provinces of Razavi Khorasan, Tehran, Qazvin, Kerman, Fars, and Isfahan. He emphasized that in most of Iran's plains, where agriculture is widely practiced and dependent on groundwater resources, land subsidence is advancing with varying intensity. According to him, geological and mapping organizations in the country have fully monitored the 'elevation level of the land' over the past few years, and subsidence may affect 'urban and construction facilities, vital arteries, and population concentrations' or areas where 'energy transmission facilities' pass through, which poses a high 'risk and hazard.' Some observers say that mismanagement by the Islamic Republic officials has exacerbated environmental crises, including water shortages and land subsidence in Iran. Recently, Ahmad Vezifeh, the head of the National Drought and Crisis Management Center at the Iranian Meteorological Organization, stated that actions such as 'diverting water from its main course, excessive extraction of groundwater resources, and neglecting the water rights of wetlands and lakes' have caused land subsidence and widespread changes, and due to climate change, 'our land has become drier.' Mansour Sohrabi, an environmental expert, previously told Voice of America that land subsidence in Iran, like a silent earthquake, affects parts of the country each time.