Failure to fully enforce spatial planning in Iran has not only brought the country to the verge of water bankruptcy but also had an array of catastrophic results, including the depletion of groundwater resources, soil degradation and drying up of rivers, lakes and wetlands, the chairman of the Technical Committee for Flood Evaluation and Dam Safety at the Iranian National Committee on Large Dams said.
“Findings of the first and second development stages of spatial planning in 1966 and 1977 showed that Iran is located in an arid region and unsustainable farming practices must be stopped, while industries like tourism, oil and mining should be developed. It is regrettable that these facts have totally been overlooked over the last four decades,” ILNA also quoted Mostafa Fadaeifard as saying.
In Iran, the importance of spatial planning was first realized around five decades ago and the first stage of spatial planning was implemented by the government in 1966.
The second development stage began in 1977, but was interrupted by the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Later, development plans were reorganized and spatial planning was once again incorporated in the government’s development plans.
“However, even five decades after the concept was introduced in Iran, the proper implementation of spatial planning has never been achieved,” the official said.
Spatial planning, also referred to as land-use planning, is a fundamental concept for sustainable development that rests on the principle that the current needs should be met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is defined as the scientific and orderly disposition of land, resources, facilities and services with the aim of securing physical, economic and social efficiency, health and wellbeing of urban and rural communities.
“Not developing spatial planning has led to the depletion of underground resources and caused land subsidence in the central plateau, due to which 37 million people are forced to migrate to the northern and western provinces where water is still plentiful and land subsidence is not a concern yet,” he added.
There are 700,000 wells in the country, of which 320,000 are unauthorized and have extracted close to 80 billion cubic meters of water between 1996 and 2011.
Groundwater Overdraft
Referring to land subsidence as one of the most important consequences of water stress, Fadaeifard said, “In Iran, land subsidence is occurring in most plains. The phenomenon has exacerbated in the past five decades due to long periods of drought and excessive groundwater overdraft. According to some reports, land subsidence in Khorasan Razavi, Isfahan, Fars, Kerman and Yazd provinces has exceeded 20 centimeters per year.”
Although continuous drought, as a natural factor, is one of the main causes of declining groundwater levels and consequently the occurrence of land subsidence, drilling wells (legal and illegal) and excessive extraction of groundwater, especially in the agriculture sector, are the most important human factors that have contributed to the occurrence of land subsidence, he added.
The official warned that indifference toward these issues will lead to the destruction of underground reservoirs, further reduction of renewable water resources and increase the frequency of floods.
“Close to 100 billion cubic meters of water are consumed in Iran annually, of which 96 bcm come from dwindling renewable resources and recycled water accounts for about 4 bcm,” he added.
Data from the Energy Ministry reveal renewable resources have declined from 130 billion cubic meters in 2013 to 96 bcm now.
Iran’s population is predicted to reach 100 million by 2041, in which case annual water consumption will approach 125 bcm and worsen the water crisis.
Addressing the water crisis calls for restoring depleted rivers and wetlands, replenishing groundwater resources and alleviating water scarcity, whereas a natural redress is not possible.
Water Bankruptcy
Kaveh Madani, a former training and research deputy at the Department of Environment, insists that in critical conditions, all the efforts are directed at restoring the system, but when bankrupt, the focus will turn to adaptation and restoration of reparable areas.
As in most countries, 90% of water in Iran are used for farming. Therefore, one proposal in line with adaptation strategies is that the sector’s water use be minimized.
Madani, however, opposes the idea as a “wrong decision”.
“Advocates of the adaptation policy are simply disregarding the role of agriculture in Iran’s food security,” he says.
“The industry and services sectors are suitable alternatives to ensure sustainable employment and food security instead of putting pressure on natural resources. Industrial goods and services could be traded for food,” he said, while addressing a conference in the US, emphasizing that food security has to be distinguished from self-sufficiency.
“Self-sufficiency in producing water-intensive crops like watermelons is not an honor because it can be easily imported,” he added.
Madani stresses the importance of observing justice in the allocation of water resources while adapting to the drought conditions.
