German companies can play a central role in Iran's water and wastewater projects, the managing director of National Water and Wastewater Engineering Company said.
"Germany has made significant inroads in the water sector and we are interested in expanding mutual ties," Hamidreza Janbaz said on the sidelines of a joint economic commission between Iran and the German industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Tehran on Sunday, ISNA reported.
"Iran's willingness for collaboration is to the extent that it has been proposed to award German companies water and wastewater projects without tender," the official said without elaboration. Transfer of technology and manufacturing equipment such as water pumps, electric generators, valves and pipes are some of the areas for cooperation with the Germans, according to Janbaz.
"We want advanced and eco-friendly technologies in the wastewater sector to ensure better public services and improve welfare."
The official asserted that Iran has faced extremely low precipitations for well over a decade and desperately needs new technology for efficient recycling and distribution of water resources, particularly in the dry regions.
Data show an average rainfall of 241 millimeters in the previous Iranian water year that ended in September. Though better than two water years before, rainfall in the previous water year declined 2% compared to the long-term average.
In the face of low precipitation and the draught in many regions, officials and experts have appealed for greater focus on collecting, treating and reusing water for drinking and farming.
According to reports, the agriculture sector gobbles up more than 90% of Iran's scarce water resources due to outdated and inefficient farming practices and equipment.
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