As summer approaches, numerous countries around the world are anticipating water crises, but Iran faces a special situation. Last week, heavy rainfall hit 12 provinces in Iran, resulting in devastating floods that claimed seven lives and caused significant damage to dozens of villages. Simultaneously, in Tehran, thousands of people faced difficulties in accessing clean drinking water from their taps.
While regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei threatened other nations that they would not survive the next 25 years, the head of the regime’s Chamber of Commerce stated on November 3, 2022, that continuing with the current water management approach would make even the survival of living organisms in Iran extremely challenging within the next 20 years.
The clerical regime attempts to attribute the water crisis to climate change, but undeniable facts and numerous official statistics leave no room for this deceitful propaganda. One glaring example is the striking contrast between Lake Urmia in Iran and Lake Van in Turkey, located just 160 kilometers apart and experiencing similar climates. While one has dried up, the other remains in its former state. Similarly, Lake Sevan in Armenia, situated approximately 200 kilometers away, has had a different fate than Lake Urmia.
According to the Rio de Janeiro Agreement of 1992, countries are entitled to use only 40% of their renewable water resources. However, statistics reveal that under the current regime, water consumption in Iran exceeds 100%. This embodies the true essence of “water mismanagement” and the clerical regime’s betrayal of future generations and the environment of Iran.
Direct water sales through exports, the exclusive use of water in certain industries, and large-scale agricultural projects by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps contribute to the depletion of all surface and underground water resources.
Watch and judge why #Iran is suffering from #water shortages? pic.twitter.com/4Ve4aOEoAa
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 7, 2023
Statistics indicate that 90% of Iran’s water consumption is allocated to the agricultural sector, which is primarily based on unscientific practices and age-old traditions, resulting in significant water wastage. Furthermore, water-intensive agricultural production lacks economic justification as the water expenditure surpasses the income from the product, adding to the mismanagement.
The deteriorating water supply network exacerbates the issue, causing the loss of over one billion cubic meters of water out of the total consumption of 7 to 8 billion cubic meters. However, the regime puts pressure solely on ordinary citizens, urging them to reduce their water usage in daily life while increasing the price of water.
Unfortunately, in the industrial sector, a majority of the country’s industries, such as steel, iron smelting, petrochemicals, and other water-intensive industries, are concentrated under the control of the IRGC in Iran’s mainland (such as Isfahan and Arak). This concentration is partly the result of the previous dictatorship’s unwise decisions in establishing these industries without scientific foundations. However, the current regime has taken the destruction of water resources to its maximum extent.
Additionally, it is important to mention the unscientific and highly flawed dam constructions. In 1979, there were 30 dams across rivers and lakes in Iran, but now the number has exceeded 1,330. This extensive dam construction contributes to the drying up of Iran’s wetlands, lakes, lagoons, pastures, and forests.
Furthermore, the destruction of water resources has severe consequences on the soil. After depleting the country’s water resources, the soil undergoes significant erosion due to the deficiency of vegetation. Shockingly, land subsidence across Iran’s plains is up to seven times the global average, equivalent to 20 centimeters per year. As 24 million people in Iran are currently living in areas prone to land subsidence and high risks a single earthquake in these areas can lead to a catastrophe beyond imagination.
#Iran News in Brief
Devastating floods hit provinces while cities like #Tehran face water cutoffs. People suffer as government fails to act and prefers to show off with rockets or spend time on presidential visits overseas.https://t.co/SLbildle3x pic.twitter.com/bttcMjfsVr— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 16, 2023
Moreover, despite the ongoing drought, the destruction of vegetation and soil erosion exacerbates the effects of heavy rainfall. Instead of replenishing water resources, intense rainfall causes destructive floods, inflicting severe damage on the lives of people and their semi-dependent agricultural practices. Unfortunately, the heavy rainfall of last weekend has already claimed at least seven lives, a figure that is likely an underreported reflection of the true reality.
Each of the current crises in Iran possesses the potential to trigger a massive social upheaval. “Water” is just a small fraction of the plundering state officials are engaged in. The direct consequence of systemic plundering is the escalating poverty among the people, who have repeatedly risen against dictatorship. As state officials continue to warn that a “social explosion” is imminent, it is only a matter of when, rather than if, their prophecy comes to fruition.