Each year, a massive 6 billion cubic meters of water are withdrawn from the drought-stricken Kerman Province’s aquifers, which is 60% over and above global standards, a deputy manager at the provincial water company said.
“Of the total extraction, 95%, 2% and 3% are respectively used by the agro sector, industries and households,” Mohsen Asadi was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
Annual water deficit from ground sources has reached 1 billion cubic meters, resulting in land subsidence and poor quality water, he added.
The official noted that the salinity of water resources in the arid province is on the rise due to overextraction from diminishing ground aquifers, taking a heavy toll on the agro sector.
“The saltier the water gets, the fewer products can be cultivated. At least 20 cities and small towns are facing severe water tension in the region,” he said.
Generally, the planet’s rising temperature leads to excessive evaporation in semi-enclosed body of water, which leads to hypersalinity. However, human activities aggravate the problem.
According to Asadi, urban development, excessive pumping of groundwater, rerouting rivers and streams, digging illegal wells and using outdated farming methods are among the main causes of the water crisis and increased salinity of the precious resource in Kerman.
The plains around Kerman no longer have the capacity for deeper wells to reach groundwater and water transfer is apparently the last best option.
According to Ali Zeinivand, the provincial governor-general, a water supply tunnel project in southern Kerman Province has been halted on the judicial order.
“The project to transfer drinking water from Safaroud Dam in Rabor County to the provincial capital Kerman with a population of 800,000 was expected to become operational in 2020,” he said.
“Before the plan was put on hold, it had registered 70% progress. The National Water and Wastewater Engineering Company has so far invested $75 million in the scheme.”
Alleviation of Water Shortage
Helping alleviate the shortage of drinking water was the goal of the project in the region that has been grappling with low precipitation and drought for years.
When completed, the 38-kilometer-long and 3.9-meter-wide tunnel will transfer 21,000 liters of fresh water per second from Safaroud Dam to Kerman.
Opponents of the plan, namely Mohammad Reza Pour-Ebrahimi, a member of the Majlis Economic Commission, say diverting water from the dam is a recipe for disaster as it will cut off water flow to Halilroud on which the livelihood of many farmers depends on the southern flank of the arid province.
“With the systemic rise in water consumption since summer, we are facing difficulty meeting demand,” he added.
Climate change and global warming have resulted in rising temperatures across continents and summers in Iran too have become much hotter compared to a quarter century ago.
Pour-Ebrahimi said water demand in Kerman is 3,000 liters per second while maximum production is 1,850 liters/second.
The province’s drinking water comes from 365 wells, three springs, eight aqueducts and two dams. The desert province, as is the case in most other regions in Iran, has been grappling with drought for years and piling unsurmountable pressure on urban authorities.
Officials have warned that the region’s groundwater balance is negative, meaning that the rate of water withdrawal is over and above recharge.
Prolonged drought and rising temperatures in Iran, in line with global warming, have led to a rapid decline in the recharge of groundwater resources.
Environmentally Hazardous
Although experts consider water transfer schemes to be environmentally hazardous and destructive, using water from Persian Gulf is the last resort.
Many Arab littoral states have long been drawing water from the water body at very high costs.
Located in an arid and semi-arid area, Iran is facing huge water deficits as less rainfall has become a norm (with very few exceptions) while climate change, waste and mismanagement continue to take a high toll.
Overconsumption and depletion of underground resources for farming have made a bad situation worse.
Iran is blessed with an abundance of underground riches, as it is home to various world-class mines holding minerals like iron ore, precious metals such as gold and turquoise.
The country possesses over 68 types of minerals with more than 37 billion tons of proven and 57 billion tons of potential reserves, including large deposits of coal, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, uranium and gold.
According to the United States Geological Survey, Iran holds the world's largest zinc, ninth largest copper, 12th largest iron ore and 10th largest uranium reserves.
Overall, Iran holds more than 7% of global mineral reserves, most of which are located in Kerman and Yazd.
