Importing water from neighboring states, such as Tajikistan and Afghanistan, is neither logical nor feasible to address the water shortage in drought-stricken regions of the central plateau, director of Iran Water Industry Federation said.
"Purchasing water from Tajikistan will cost at least $4 per cubic meter and expecting a politically unstable country like Afghanistan to be committed to its water treaties is utter nonsense," Alireza Shariat was also quoted as saying by ILNA.
“Some government officials have suggested that importing water is on the Energy Ministry’s agenda as low precipitation and mismanagement of depleting underground resources are taking a heavy toll on farming sector and industries,” he said.
“Taking such tentative steps toward tackling the country's water problems will only worsen the situation as measures to supply water at any cost have never produced positive long-term results.”
As long as demand is not managed, water imports or similar moves like trans-basin diversion schemes cannot solve the problem.
“Officials’ persistence on pursuing failed policies makes the mind boggle, as there are other viable alternatives, such as using treated wastewater in agro sector, gray water in households and adopting modern farming techniques, which are widely used all around the globe.”
Iranians were once pioneers of water management and innovated techniques such as aqueducts, but the creative strategies have long been neglected
According to Shariat, hydrological studies in the Middle East show Iran will be adversely affected by water shortage in the coming years and there is no time to practice trial and error methods.
“Drawing on developed countries’ experience is the most pragmatic approach and repeating the vicious cycle of trial and error will take us nowhere,” he said.
“Officials may have succeeded in solving other economic issues like tomato or chicken shortage temporarily, but water is a crucial commodity and failing to tackle the problem fundamentally will result in severe social and economic consequences sooner rather than later.”
Water Conflicts
The official noted that given its geopolitical proximity to Caspian Sea in the north and Persian Gulf in the south, Iran has almost always been exposed to international water conflicts.
Faced with water-related challenges, Iran is finding it increasingly difficult to provide industries, agriculture and its people with water. Water experts insist that discussing water management with other countries and drawing on their experience should be a priority.
Shariat stressed that although water scarcity is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing Iran, inefficient management of the valuable resource is largely to blame for a crisis that has emerged over the years.
"There is no doubt that current critical conditions of Iran's rapidly vanishing wetlands and groundwater resources are mainly due to inept water management, rather than the drought itself," he added.
Iranians were once pioneers of water management and innovated techniques such as aqueducts, but the creative strategies have long been neglected.
According to the official, the most critical missing strategy is "territorial planning" that determines which development project can be implemented in which region, based on climatic specifications. For instance, water-intensive crops must not be cultivated in regions suffering from water shortage.
Shariat complained that unfortunately, officials have neglected this issue.
Agro Mismanagement
Mismanagement is also evident in the agriculture sector.
"The revenue earned from the sale and export of many types of crops does not equal the value of water used for their irrigation," he said. Reportedly, about 89% of the country’s water resources are used up by unsustainable and wasteful farming practices.
"Seeking international collaboration, starting joint agricultural projects with other countries, addressing indirect water wastage and raising public awareness about water shortage are among solutions repeatedly emphasized by authorities, but these have never received adequate attention," he said.
According to Mohammad Hossein Papoli Yazdi, the head of the Iranian Association of Geopolitics, many environmental challenges such as drought and dust storms are the outcomes of ineffective water diplomacy.
“Water has become as valuable as oil and future wars will be over this key natural resource. Our country will have to face the consequences of the international water crisis in the next 10 years, if it fails to find solutions with the aid of diplomacy today," he said.
The expert noted that although policies are in place regarding domestic water resources, there is an absence of a clear and comprehensive strategy on cross-border sources, to which Iran is legally entitled.
"In general, the country has no water diplomacy at the regional and international level," Yazdi said.
Iran has already suffered losses due to the lack of political dialogue on water with Afghanistan and Iraq, but the most significant ecological issues result from Turkey's large-scale damming project.
