Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said dams played a key role in mitigating damage during the recent flooding in the western and southern regions.
A staunch advocate of dams, Ardakanian added, "Despite the massive destruction caused by the flash floods over the last three weeks, we managed to store large volumes of fresh water," IRNA reported.
“If we wanted access to this volume of water, 5 billion cubic meters, by desalinating sea water, it would have cost $2.5 billion. We have 172 large dams that now are 75% full.”
There is no denying the fact that in a country grappling with severe drought for more than a decade, rainfall of this kind is a blessing. But officials including the minister, seem oblivious to the fact that dams, even if built in appropriate locations, have their own limitations, Anoush Esfandiari, a researcher at the Water Policy Research Institute, a subsidiary of Kerman Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, argued.
Azadi Dam in western Kermanshah Province, Marook Dam in Lorestan Province and Gavmishan Dam in Kurdestan Province, to name a few, overflowed over the past several days. Moreover, the famous Dez and Karkheh Dams in Khuzestan Province may overflow if the heavy downpours continue.
"Fighting floodwaters is not new as our ancestors did the same. However, building huge barriers was their last resort, especially in the flat terrains in the eastern regions where it was impossible to build a dam," he said, adding that past generations adopted more practical and workable strategies to this end.
There is no denying the fact that in a country grappling with severe drought for more than a decade, abundant rainfall is seen as a blessing. But officials seem oblivious to the fact that dams, even if built in appropriate locations, have their own limitations
"There were unambiguous economic development laws and control mechanisms that banned construction in and within specified perimeters away from water bodies," he said.
He complained that "Now there are no clear rules to be followed," because of which thousands of families had to flee and abandon their homes.
According to Esfandiari, in the past, housing development projects were banned near the downstream side of dams so that nobody would be harmed in case of a deluge. “Now thousands of residents in Khuzestan have been ordered to leave as their lives are in danger if Dez and Karkheh Dams overflow.”
Watershed Management
He added that officials have long urged provincial authorities to take watershed management and water spread techniques seriously, due to their role in preventing floods and storing water safely.
A watershed is the area of land that catches rain and snow, and drains or seeps into a marsh, stream, river, lake or groundwater.
Water spreading is diverting or collecting runoff from natural channels, gullies, or streams with a system of dams, dikes, ditches, or other means, and spreading it over a relatively flat area.
Maintaining vegetation and banning construction along rivers are other measures touted by the Department of Environment as key to mitigating flood damage.
Ali Salajeqeh, a lecturer at the University of Tehran, believes that stringent rules must underpin dam building policies.”If not, flooding and the ensuing damages will increase.”
Rejecting Ardakanian's claim that without the massive dams, the destructive impact of the flooding would have been much worse, he said, "Dams act like a temporary and short-term solution against floods and postpone the disaster."
Salajeqeh noted efficient water management can help the country manage its limited water resources better than building costly and controversial dams.
Water management includes establishment and implementation of water policies and clarification of the role and responsibility of the government, civil society and the private sector in relation to water resources and services.
Regarding the recent devastation caused by floods in western and southwestern regions that killed at least 70 people, Shahab Naderi, a lawmaker from Paveh in the western Kermanshah Province, blamed the municipalities who issued permits for building homes on and near river banks.
"There is mismanagement in the country," he said, adding that those who sacrifice the future of a nation on the altar of personal gain should be held accountable. “No one is above the law.”
