Interacting with neighbors within the framework of bilateral agreements and building technical and diplomatic cooperation are Iran's declared policy regarding trans-border rivers and shared water resources.
Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian made the above statement on the sidelines of the second high-level international conference entitled “Water for Sustainable Development” held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on June 8, ILNA reported.
“Water, fundamental to human well-being, plays a key role in sustainable development and is essential for socioeconomic development,” he added.
Mehrabian said the precious commodity is necessary for curbing the burden of diseases and improving the productivity of nations, adding that water shortage has been a major concern over the last 10 years all over the world.
“Referring to finite water resources that are also irreplaceable, he noted that water is only renewable if it is well managed, treated and used efficiently,” he added.
Today, more than 1.7 billion people live in river basins where depletion exceeds natural recharge, which trend will see two-thirds of the world’s population living in water-stressed countries by 2025.
According to the minister, Iran has entered into diplomatic negotiations with neighboring states as it believes pursuing water diplomacy at the regional and international scale is the best strategy to avoid conflicts on cross-border sources.
Water can pose a serious challenge to sustainable development, but if the limited resource is managed efficiently and equitably, water can play a key role in strengthening the resilience of social, economic and environmental systems.
In fact, Tehran has strived to build its collaboration with neighbors and confer with the relevant officials of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Iraq over water issues.
“We have accords with all neighbors on shared water resources and several meetings have been held over the years by joint committees to resolve the problems,” Mehrabian said.
Iran is home to an extended network of rivers, most of which originate in the rugged mountain regions and flow into interior basins.
International Boundaries
Nineteen rivers run along Iran's international boundaries and the country shares these with six neighbors.
“Agreements on water rights of border rivers have been signed between Iran and Afghanistan (Hirmand River), Azerbaijan and Armenia (Aras River), Turkmenistan (14 rivers, including Harir, Atrek and Sumbar), Turkey (Karasu and Sarisu rivers) and Iraq (Arvand River),” Mehrabian said.
According to Mohammad Ali Farahnakian, the energy minister’s advisor for international affairs, Tehran is keen on using international expertise and cooperating with global organizations to address its worsening water problems.
“Water paucity has already taken a heavy toll on drought-stricken regions and a large number of farmers are facing serious problems in southern provinces like Khuzestan, Kerman and Isfahan,” he said.
“Drastic changes are worsening global climate change and the best way is not to be taken by surprise [by torrential rains or drought] and draw on developed countries' knowhow and expertise.”
The Energy Ministry in 2017 signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East on sharing knowhow to improve water infrastructure and finding solutions to cut water consumption.
Close to $100 million have been allocated from the National Development Fund of Iran to help alleviate the chronic water problems, mainly in underdeveloped regions.
Located in one of the world’s most water-stressed regions, Iran is among the top 20 countries with unsustainable water consumption.
Desertification, several thousand illegal water wells scattered across the country, inefficient farming and water-intensive industries are making a bad situation worse, as the water deficit grows in tandem with prohibitive consumption in all sectors, mainly agriculture.
The Tajik biennial water conferences provide timely and valuable opportunities to create an enabling environment and platform for the promotion of action, partnership and policy dialogue, as well as contribute to other relevant processes.
The first conference was held in Dushanbe on 20-21 June 2018.
The conference focused on how governments, the United Nations and its entities, other international and regional organizations, international financial institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations, academia, communities, local governments and other stakeholders can catalyze water action and partnerships to contribute to the implementation of water-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Climate Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development and the New Urban Agenda at all levels, while supporting the global response to the Covid-19 crisis.
Water-Intensive Crops
Over 90% of Iran’s water are used for agriculture. Due to international sanctions, the government wants the country to be self-sufficient and has encouraged farmers to grow water-intensive crops like wheat, rice and sugarcane.
“Iranian officials have acknowledged that outdated agricultural and irrigation systems, as well as poor water management policies in the past three decades, have contributed to nationwide water shortages,” Banafsheh Kianoush, an expert on the region’s geopolitics, told Climate Home News.
Iran is one of the most energy-intensive developing countries and ranks among the top 10 emitters of carbon dioxide in the world. Its energy consumption is about five times more than the world average, with around 35% of this amount consumed in different types of buildings.
On the other hand, Iran expends approximately 20% of its gross domestic product on energy subsidies. It is predicted that if the current trend of consumption continues, Iran, despite being one of the largest energy producers, will need to import energy.
Improving energy efficiency is, therefore, vital to the country’s progress and can contribute to both environmental and economic sustainability.
