Supported by the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, projects are defined for the development of new methods for water extraction in order to increase the use of technologies to optimize the amount of water consumed in the country.

Another goal is to develop employment, in addition to water and drought technologies.

Conducting deepwater exploration studies in priority areas, identifying freshwater springs in coastal areas, new methods of extraction, and determining the level of suspended aquifers are among the projects.

Moreover, technologies related to water purification and desalination, technologies related to water and energy optimization, construction of greenhouses, operation of agricultural drains and industrial effluents in the development of salinization operations, exploitation of new water resources for various industrial, agricultural, and drinking purposes, are other projects.

Other water projects include the implementation of small-scale technological projects with the aim of creating employment through the cultivation of drought-resistant plant species with the aim of desertification and creating added value by producing processed products.

Water resources shrinking

Renewable water resources have decreased by 30 percent over the last four decades, while Iran’s population has increased by about 2.5 times, Qasem Taqizadeh, deputy minister of energy, has stated in June.

The current water year (started on September 23, 2020) has received the lowest rain in the past 52 years, so climate change and Iran’s arid region should become a common belief at all levels, he lamented.

A recent report by Nature Scientific Journal on Iran’s water crisis indicates that from 2002 to 2015, over 74 billion cubic meters have been extracted from aquifers, which is unprecedented and its revival takes thousands of years along with urgent action.

Three Iranian scientists studied 30 basins in the country and realized that the rate of aquifer depletion over a 14-year period has been about 74 billion cubic meters, which is recently published in Nature Scientific Journal.

Also, over-harvesting in 77 percent of Iran has led to more land subsidence and soil salinity. Research and statistics show that the average overdraft from the country’s aquifers was about 5.2 billion cubic meters per year.

Mohammad Darvish, head of the environment group in the UNESCO Chair on Social Health that the situation of groundwater resources is worrisome.

More drought, water crisis

In March, Ahad Vazifeh, head of the national center for drought and crisis management, forecasted that the country will not receive much rain until the end of summer (September 23). A month later, he announced that an unprecedented drought had occurred in some parts of the country.

This is while in the following weeks, statistics showed that precipitation has declined by 60 percent in Iran over the first two months of the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 21-May 21) compared to the same period last year.
And, it dropped by 41 percent compared to the long-term average.

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“In these 7-8 days one of our concerns have been the issue of Khuzestan, the issue of people’s water, and the problems of the people,” the Leader said after receiving the second dose of the Iranian-made COVIRAN BAREKAT coronavirus vaccine.

It is “really painful” that one notices that the people of Khuzestan with all these facilities and natural resources suffer from mismanagement of water resources.

Calling the people of Khuzestan “very loyal,” the Leader said “people are displeased.”

He added “the water problem is not a small problem” in a hot province such as Khuzestan.

Ayatollah Khamenei said now that the people are airing their grievances about water shortage naturally “no complain can be made of the people.”

Repeated droughts coupled with mismanagement of water resources have caused some people in the southwestern province of Khuzestan to lose partly or completely their crops. Their livestock, like buffalos, also need water to cool themselves in the heat of summer.

Such a situation has caused people in some cities in the province to hold protests.

Despite water scarcity, some farmers in the upstream have been growing rice or other crops which entail great water for irrigation.

In his Friday remarks, the Leader went on to say that during eight years of Saddam Hussein’s war against Iran in the 1980s the people of Khuzestan were at the forefront of the war and they really withstood the invaders.

During Saddam’s war against Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei was president.

“I was closely an eyewitness. I closely noticed how the people of Khuzestan were faithfully and earnestly sending their youth, sending their men (to the warfront to resist the invading army). Their women were helping. And (now) these faithful and enthusiastic people must not face these problems,” the Leader stated.

Ayatollah Khamenei added hopefully different government and non-government bodies have started a campaign to address the water problem in Khuzestan, suggesting that the next government to seriously follow the issue.

The government of President-elect Ebrahim Raisi will be sworn in on August 5.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader pointed to disruption in vaccinating the elderly against the coronavirus in certain instances, blaming the problem to foreign companies that reneged their promises to sell vaccines on time.

This lack of commitment to promises once again reminds that the Iranian people and officials that “we must stand on their own foot,” he pointed out.

“Reliance on others creates problems as it created in this case,” Ayatollah Khamenei remarked.

He added that Iran had no alternative that in addition to producing homegrown vaccines to import vaccines from reliable sources and this will continue.

However, the Leader suggested, the focus should be primarily on domestic production and the people should not remain waiting for arrival of foreign-manufactured vaccines.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) – The Dutch Ambassador to Tehran Jacques Werner said that the Netherlands is willing to establish mutual cooperation with the Iranian Organization in water management, renewable energies and foodstuffs.

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