Big industries in Isfahan Province are increasing production that is seen as a major error in the central plateau suffering from acute water shortage, said a civil engineering professor at Isfahan University of Technology.
Hamidreza Safavi says several steel, cement, petrochemical and petroleum industries are based in Isfahan and consume unusually huge volumes of water while the residents endure the adverse effects of the industries including severe water deficits and environmental pollution, ISNA reported.
Located in arid regions of Iran with below minimum precipitation, Isfahan has been struggling with drought for many years, which has resulted in drying up of the famous Zayandehrud River. This in turn has resulted in drought in the Gavkhouni Wetland, where Zayandehrud ends in, and other environmental crisis in the central regions.
According to official data, water flow into Zayandehroud Dam was close to 1.2 billion cubic meters in 2017. The volume now has declined to as low as 400 million cubic meters.
“The present water crisis is the result of wrong policies over decades," Safavi said and pointed out that disorganized urbanization, outdated farming practices, overexploitation of water resources by water-intensive industries and unauthorized water wells are the main factors contributing to the worsening water crisis.
“Today groundwater reserves are being overused in the region. These sources are non-renewable and will deplete after a while.”
The expert warned that harvesting excessively from the groundwater tables will lead to dire consequences such as loss of jobs, especially in the agricultural sector, and expanding of the desert toward the east of Isfahan that in turn result in more dust storms. The drop in water levels in the long term will also result in land subsidence that can be disastrous for residential buildings, historical monuments and infrastructure.
Solutions
Safavi believes that transferring water to the region, recycling wastewater, and judicious consumption (in different sectors) are essential to help ensure that the water crises does not move from bad to worse.
A series of tunnels have been built to redirect some water from Kuhrang River, originating in the Zagros Mountains, toward Zayandehrud to meet the growing water demand in the ancient tourist city. There also are plans to supply water from the Sea of Oman to Isfahan.
Several water and wastewater projects have been launched in recent years in the key province. According to statistics, water recycling in agriculture is below 50%. Almost 90% of the scarce water resources is used by the inefficient agriculture sector. Over 3 billion cubic meters of water is wasted annually.
Recycling wastewater has been in the spotlight in recent years as the country continues to grapple with perennial drought that has left large swathes of land barren and is forcing increasing numbers to abandon rural areas as farming becomes a gargantuan task and wipes out livelihoods.
Annual water consumption in Iran has increased by over 15 billion cubic meters over 20 years, reaching 95 bcm per year from about 80 bcm two decades ago.
According to data from the Energy Ministry, an Iranian uses an average of 250 liters of water per day. Per capita water consumption in metropolises such as Isfahan may exceed 400 liters.
