Rainfall in 6 Catchment Areas Declines

The precipitation rate in Iran's six main catchment areas has declined by 5% since the beginning of the current water year on Sept. 22, 2016. According to the latest report by the Iran Water Resource Management Company, the country received 229 millimeters of rainfall from the beginning of the water year up until Sept. 10, 2017. The figure registered a 5% decline compared with the same period of last water year and a 3% fall ranged against the 48-year average, IRNA reported. Iran is divided into six primary and 31 secondary catchment areas. The Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman in the south (with 367 millimeters) and Hamoun Wetlands in the east (with 62 millimeters) were the two primary catchment areas with the highest and lowest precipitation rates respectively. The remaining four catchments include the Caspian Sea in the north (338 mm), Urmia Lake in the northwest (208 mm), Karakum in the northeast (181 mm) and the Central Plateau in Markazi Province (159 mm).  The global average annual precipitation is more than 830 mm, based on which Iran Is classified as an arid and semi-arid country.