Soil degradation is an exacerbating crisis in Iran that has been grossly neglected as a pressing issue which requires prompt action, director of the Department of Environment warned.
"Although soil erosion is a natural process, it becomes problematic when human activity causes it to occur much faster than it naturally would," Isa Kalantari said.
According to a 2012 report by the Agriculture Ministry, Iran's soil is affected largely by anthropogenic factors more than any other natural event.
"The annual average soil erosion in the country reaches 10 to 11 tons per hectare, which is a noticeable figure given that it takes over three decades for one cubic centimeter of soil to form," ILNA quoted Kalantari as saying.
Main Cause
He pointed to excessive use of groundwater resources as the main cause of the predicament.
Last year, the official said, over 16 billion cubic meters of water were illegally extracted from groundwater sources, meaning over double the standard levels.
"8.5 bcm have been extracted in excess from licensed water wells and 7.5 bcm have been siphoned off illegal wells that are still operating throughout the country," Kalantari said, adding that the only soothing solution is to allow groundwater reserves to replenish and impose a stringent ban on water drainage.
Kalantari blamed aspirations for self-sufficiency in the production of meat and water-intensive agricultural crops as the main culprit. Although some officials might be proud of the outputs, the costs of self-sufficiency are double the revenue it yields, he stressed. Unfortunately, he said, all those who are engaged in the problem prefer short-term solutions to the long-term and more effective methods.
"Farmers fail to care about the future and only insist on producing crops today; and the Agriculture Ministry is hesitant about choosing between production rates and environmental protection," he regretted.
Pressing Concern
Furthermore, some officials, including Mohammad Darvish, deputy for education and public participation at the DOE, believe soil erosion is a far more pressing concern than Iran's water woes. "We can address the looming water crisis by rewriting policies and overhauling management," he said last month, adding that soil degradation will have a more dire impact on the country if not addressed immediately.
Officials estimate that some 16 million tons of soil are exposed to erosion yearly, which is higher than the global average. Reportedly, the effects of soil erosion go beyond the loss of fertile land. It has led to increased pollution and sedimentation in streams and rivers, clogging the waterways and causing declines in stocks of fish and other species.
Degraded lands are also often less able to hold back water that can result in flooding, whose impact was felt in western Iran last year when severe flash floods in Ilam and Lorestan devastated livelihoods and afflicted billions of dollars in damages.
Half of the topsoil on the planet has been lost in the last 150 years. In addition to erosion, soil quality is affected by other aspects of agriculture. These impacts include compaction, loss of soil structure, nutrient degradation and soil salinity. These are very real and at times severe issues.
Sustainable land use can help reduce the impact of agriculture and livestock, preventing soil degradation and erosion and the loss of valuable land to desertification.
