Water stored in dams across Iran has reached 25 billion cubic meters, which are 13% less compared with last year’s level.
The overall capacity of dams is 50 billion cubic meters while water levels have currently reached 51%, the Energy Ministry’s news portal Paven reported.
Since the beginning of the current water year (Sept. 2021), 19.5 billion cubic meters of water have entered dams, down 5% compared with the same period of a year ago.
Water outflow from dams has reached 13 bcm during the same period, he added.
The decline in precipitation in the current water year is the main factor behind the low water level in dams. In fact, most dams across the nation are in critical situation.
Water level in dams of Khorasan Razavi, Tehran, Markazi, Sistan-Baluchastan, Fars and Isfahan provinces have experienced a decline of 36%, 38%, 23%, 55%, 11% and 13% respectively compared to a year ago.
Rice Cultivation
Agricultural and environmental experts have been urging the government for years to restrict rice farming to the water-rich provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran, home to a majority of Iran’s paddy fields, and ban the activity in the rest of Iran.
Apart from the two northern provinces, rice is currently cultivated in Isfahan, Fars, Kohgilouyeh-Boyerahmad, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari, Ilam, Qazvin, Lorestan, Zanjan, Sistan-Baluchestan, Kurdestan, Ardabil, East Azarbaijan and North Khorasan. Most of these provinces are facing an acute water shortage.
Due to the dramatic decline in Khuzestan’s dams, rice cultivation in the region is banned until further notice.
The water stored in Karkheh Dam in Khuzestan Province is 1.6 billion cubic meters less than the amount in the dam at this time of last year and Karoun Dam water storage has declined by 1 billion cubic meters, which shows the critical condition of water reserves in the southwestern province, managing director of the provincial water and power organization said.
Considering the current decline in rainfall and the prevailing drought, Farhad Izadjou added that the cultivation of water-intensive crops such as rice and corn is banned in Khuzestan, IRNA reported.
“The farmers of the province should think about cultivating alternative crops until the water shortage and drought are over,” he added.
Referring to a number of villages located near Karkheh River using water for drinking purposes, Izadjou asked Khuzestan Water and Wastewater Company to take measures to provide them with sustainable piped water, because it is likely that next summer the downstream areas of the river could dry up.
“Drinking water for 52% of Khuzestan population are supplied from Karkheh River, so sustainable supply of drinking water is our first priority, followed by water supply to farming,” he said.
Currently, about 85% of the capacity of dams in Khuzestan are empty. Since Sept. 23, 2021, only 15% of the capacity of the dams in the southwestern province have been filled and close to 2 billion cubic meters are stored in the reservoirs.
The reduction in the level of water in dams has stopped hydropower generation in the province.
Karkheh hydroelectric power plant has gone off the grid as a result of the water shortage. The dam, which overflowed two years ago due to torrential and unprecedented rainfall, is now half empty and has difficulty supplying water not only for drinking but also for power generation.
Other hydroelectric power plants, including Karoun 1, Karoun 3, Karoun 4 and Masjed Soleyman, have already gone off the grid because of water scarcity.
The decline in precipitation in the previous water year has worsened the drought facing the country for years, which consequently caused water stress.
