A closed parliamentary session attended by ministers of energy and agriculture was held on Wednesday to discuss the critical and deteriorating issue of water shortage.
According to lawmaker Kamaleddin Shahriari, the main topic of discussions was the ongoing drought, the consequent drop in water resources and its effects on potable and farming supplies.
Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian presented a report of precipitation in recent years compared with the long-term average of the past 30, 40 and 50 years.
According to the report, the current water year (started Sept. 23) has been a rare one in terms of rainfall and the worst in 40 years.
"Many provinces, including Kerman, South Khorasan and Sistan-Baluchestan, are experiencing up to 70% decline in precipitation," he was quoted as saying by Shahriari, Mehr News Agency reported.
The minister stressed the importance of modern technologies such as cloud seeding and wastewater treatment.
Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati highlighted the lack of farming water that calls for a change in the methods and cultivation patterns through modification of seeds and saplings.
Among the solutions he proposed was shifting the farming season of certain crops from spring to fall by genetic modification of seeds, reforming water consumption methods by switching from flood to sprinkler irrigation and even moving from farmlands to greenhouses.
The Majlis Research Center also presented a comprehensive report on the current conditions of water resources.
Working Group
The severity of the issue of water scarcity in recent years finally compelled the authorities to form a national working group to take organized measures to adapt consumption patterns to the present condition.
The group comprises representatives from the ministries of energy, agriculture, industries and interior as well as the Department of Environment and the Management and Planning Organization.
"During the recent closed meeting, the agriculture and energy commissions of the parliament as well as the Majlis Research Center were tasked to collaborate with this working group," Behrouz Nemati, spokesperson for the Majlis Presiding Board, told YJC.
The group will be chaired by First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri, and Ardakanian will take the position of its secretary. It will report to parliament on a monthly basis.
"Land-use planning with special focus on water resources was mentioned as the main item on the group's agenda since no difference has been recognized so far between dry and wet areas in policymaking," he added.
Lawmakers insist that the agriculture sector should not have any concerns over water and therefore tasked the energy and agriculture ministers to help resolve farmers' water problems by any means.
"Attendees emphasized that industries should be located in regions with adequate water [resources] so that transfer projects would not be required," Nemati said.
No Rationing for Now
In response to reporters' question about any plan for rationing water, the official said it is not a priority at the moment, though it is a possible option to be considered by the working group.
"The main responsibility of the group at the moment is to organize the use of water and determine the share of each sector with priority given to drinking, farming and industry respectively," he said.
Water diplomacy was also briefly mentioned and the working group was told to seek counsel from the Supreme National Security Council in this regard.
