Studies by scientists at the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) show that the Middle East and North Africa are becoming drier and warmer regions, which will exacerbate the region’s water crisis, especially in Iran, a water researcher said.
“Rising temperature, shortage of rainfall and prolonged droughts have intensified the situation and it is estimated that by 2050, about 90 million people in the region will be exposed to severe water stress and groundwater resources will decrease more than before,” Mostafa Fadaei-Fard was also quoted as saying by ILNA.
“In addition, agricultural production will decline significantly due to the lack of water resources. Studies show that by 2050, climate change will have a negative impact on crop yield in the Middle East and North Africa, while the need for agricultural products will increase due to population growth,” he added.
Fadaei-Fard noted that unfortunately, vegetation and forests have been destroyed in the region, which contributes to the drought and poses a challenge for regional countries.
IPCC is the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was created to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options.
“The situation in Iran is more critical than in other countries of the region. Mismanagement of water resources, decline in rainfall, persistent drought in recent years and improper use of surface and groundwater have led to land subsidence and devastating floods, which have become the country’s biggest environmental challenges,” the researcher said, adding that the rapid growth of unsustainable agriculture is making a bad situation worse.
Low Water Productivity
Comparing water productivity in Iran and the world, Fadaei-fard said water productivity is generally defined as crop yield per cubic meter of water consumption.
“The average crop yield per cubic meter of water consumption in the world is 2.5 kg and in developed countries 3.5 kg while the figure in Iran is only 900 grams,” he added.”
The consumed water includes “green” water (effective rainfall) for rain-fed areas and both “green” and “blue” water (diverted from water systems) for irrigated areas.
The researcher noted that according to published statistics, more than 30% of the country's renewable water resources have been destroyed in the last two decades and a large part of what is remaining has been polluted.
Renewable water resources are recharged by the hydrological cycle unless they are overexploited, comprising groundwater aquifers and surface water like rivers and lakes. Internal renewable water resources constitute the average annual flow of rivers and groundwater generated from endogenous precipitation.
According to Fadaei-fard, European countries, like other parts of the world, have also been affected by the climate change, but with proper management of water and soil resources, the consequences of water crisis have been minimized.
Applicable Solutions
The water researcher said solutions to the water crisis used around the world are very diverse.
“The development of new water saving technologies, sewage collection networks and water treatment plants, improving irrigation methods and water distribution infrastructure to prevent water loss and setting up water markets to apply real water prices are among the solutions applicable to Iran,” he added.
The construction of water and wastewater treatment plants and expansion of sewerage system have been among measures taken by the Energy Ministry in recent years to tackle the issue, although much remains to be done in this regard.
Setting up water markets where buyers and sellers can trade water both through short- and long-term leases and the permanent sale of water rights is also another way of managing water consumption.
The system allows farmers to buy and sell water depending on their actual need. Water trade has become a vital business tool for farmers in many countries, including Australia.
Water markets can encourage efficient water use, the report said, adding that well-structured markets will augment water conservation efforts (that so far have made little, if any, progress).
