Data released by the Drought Management Center at Iran's Meteorological Organization shows almost 80% of Isfahan Province is suffering from dry and disturbing conditions to varying degrees.
Located in an arid region with minimal rainfall, Isfahan has been struggling with drought for years, which has resulted in drying up of the famous Zayandehroud River.
A whopping 3 billion cubic meters of water is annually extracted from underground sources in the parched province via 40,000 authorized wells, IRNA reported.
There are said to be 21,000 illegal wells in the area which pump 350 million cubic meters of water from depleting underground aquifers per year.
On water consumption in different sectors (households, industries and agriculture), the news agency said households account for 400 mcm of the total annual consumption at 4.6 bcm.
Industries use 200 mcm in a year while (old and outdated) farming practices gulp down 90% or about 4 bcm per year.
Louder voices are being heard about the urgent need to compel farmers across the country to tap more into groundwater resources or face serious consequences.
Oddly enough, with a population of five million, the region has only one water treatment facility that processes 864,000 cubic meters of water per day.
Dry-Land Farming Absent
There is no dry-land farming in Isfahan due to low precipitation (120 millimeters a year). Groundwater tables and aquifers supply most of the farming needs. Only 569,000 hectares (about 5%) out of the province’s 10 million hectares are arable.
Water flow into the Zayandehroud Dam reached 1.2 billion cubic meters in 2017. Now this has halved.
Of the total flow (600 mcm), 300 mcm is used for drinking and the rest sold to industries.
According to Hashem Amini, head of the provincial water company, the need to treat and reuse wastewater is crucial to cope with the worsening water crisis.
“Almost 172 million cubic meters of wastewater is recycled in Isfahan Province every year,” he said, adding that of the total, 60% or 100 mcm is used for farming and the rest for industries, watering green spaces, maintaining watersheds and developing anti-desertification programs.
After Yazd, Isfahan is the second biggest industrial hub in the country and 70% of Iran’s steel is manufactured in this province, which explains why tapping into unconventional water resources has become a top priority.
Giving an example, Amini referred to Isfahan Oil Refining Company that has made concerted efforts to access its water need.
"The refinery will have to either reduce or stop production if the worsening water crisis is not resolved."
Amini said the refining complex consumes 1,000 cubic meters of water per hour, of which 700 cm is recycled and reused.
The company processes 375,000 barrels of crude per day and this volume cannot be sustained unless the refinery gets all the water it needs. The official said there are plans to buy wastewater produced in towns in the vicinity like Shahin-Shahr to partially solve the water problem.
Zayandehroud originates in the mountains of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Province and flows eastward toward Isfahan before ending up in Gavkhouni Wetland. Officials say Isfahan's struggle with drought has made it difficult to supply farms with dam water while upholding the water rights of Zayandehroud and Gavkhouni. Unrestrained urbanization, obsolete farming practices and the presence of water-intensive industries such as Mobarakeh Steel Company are putting immense pressure on the province's fast dwindling water resources.
