The long-standing 20-year-old drought in the region is forcing many to have to provide their water from tank trucks delivering water to the areas.

The campaign, called Nazr-e Ab (literally meaning water donation), was launched three years ago, following the drought crisis in the southern and southeastern provinces of the country, with the aim of supplying fresh water to deprived areas with the help of the people and the IRCS.

From June 22 to September 22 in drought-ridden provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan, South Khorasan, Kerman, and Hormozgan, people can participate by donating bottled water, water tanks or cash, nationwide.

The campaign was first held in August 2018, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan which went into trouble after the Hamoun wetland drained and the rainless sky left many in dire need of drinking water.

Precipitation has decreased by 50 percent compared to last year, so this year the project will be implemented more vigorously, Mohammad Nasiri, head of the IRCS volunteer organization said, YJC reported on Tuesday.

The campaign has two main aspects; the first one centers on water supply issues including desalination of water, rehabilitation of qanats, improving wells and water quality, filtering and sanitation of reservoirs. And the second aspect focuses on health issues including health care services, free diagnosis, and etc., he explained.

Based on the latest data published by National Drought Warning and Monitoring Center affiliated to Iran’s Meteorological Organization, since the current crop year (September 23, 2020), South Khorasan has received 59.7 millimeters of rainfall while the long-term averages are 110.5 millimeters. Last year during the same period, 156.4 millimeters of precipitation reported. So that the province is short of rain compared to both last year and long-run.

Precipitation in Sistan-Baluchestan province decreased to 15.3 millimeters from 165.9 millimeters in the previous water year, demonstrating a 90.8 percent decline. The amount also dropped in comparison to the long-term average of 84.6 mm, being short of rain by 81.9 percent.

Hormozgan province also has not met the normal averages, receiving 20.3 millimeters of rain while it reported raining 303.3 millimeters in the previous water year, showing a 93.3 percent drop, while it also experienced rainfall shortage in comparison to the long-term mean by 93.3 percent.

Kerman also received low precipitation compared to both the long-term average and last year.

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“The Hoomand-Absard station in Damavand county in northeast of Tehran experienced a temperature increase of 2.7 °C over the past 50 years, while over the past 100 years, the temperature rise was about 0.76 °C,” ISNA quoted Mohammad Darvish as saying on Tuesday.

Climate change impact is increasing in southern part of the country, among which Yazd province’s condition has raised concern, he said, adding, the industries operating in the province must reduce their dependency on water, otherwise water scarcity might worsen in the region.

“Although, province of Yazd is facing common consequences of climate changes due to greenhouse gas emissions, consuming large amounts of water compared to other provinces of the country has exacerbated the situation,” he highlighted.

65 percent of the country’s tile and pottery are being produced in Yazd, and the establishment of water and energy consuming industries has also compounded the lack of water, he lamented.

He went on to explain that residents must move towards changing their water consumption pattern, launching green businesses, developing tourism industry in the fields of historical, cultural and medical tourism, adding that moreover, Yazd province could be the country’s solar power extraction source.

According to data released in mid-November by the National Drought Warning and Monitoring Center, while from the beginning of autumn to December 24, Iran received 91.6 millimeters of rain on average which quadruples last year’s precipitation over the same period, sadly, province of Yazd situated in southern Iran only rained 13.6 millimeters, making it the province with lowest amount of rain received in the same period after Sistan-Baluchestan.

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