In northern Iran, the operation of the Finesk Dam has become a contentious issue, sparking disagreements between the governors of Semnan and Mazandaran provinces. Environmental activists are sounding alarms, describing this water structure as ‘dangerous’ and cautioning against its potential environmental consequences.
According to environmentalists, the dam’s operation could spell disaster for the industries of northern Iranian provinces, leading to the desiccation of wetlands and water areas, and an escalation in soil erosion and climatic migrations. Despite these warnings, officials within the regime persist in advocating for the dam’s operation.
Situated 70 km northeast of Semnan in Mehdishahr city, the Finesk Dam spans the Sefid-rud River bed, sourced from the headwaters of Tajan.
Initially intended to supply 7.5 million cubic meters of drinking water to Semnan, Mehdishahr, and Sarkheh, the dam’s construction concluded in 2012. Two years prior, the project received an operating license from the Environmental Protection Agency.
In December 2022, following the drying up of 15,000 hectares of the Miankaleh peninsula, the Environmental Protection Organization canceled the Finesk project’s operation, emphasizing the need for a reconsideration of the dam’s location if construction were to proceed.
Despite these developments, Seyed Mahmoud Hosseinipour, the governor of Mazandaran, unequivocally stated on January 12 that the Finesk dam’s construction has been definitively ruled out, and no such dam exists.
However, Governor of Semnan, Seyyed Mohammad Reza Hashemi, countered this claim, asserting that the Finesk Dam possesses all necessary environmental permits and funding, emphasizing its implementation without alterations.
Governor Hashemi reiterated that the Finsk project falls within Semnan province’s territorial jurisdiction, and its permits were submitted to the Ministry of Energy by the head of the Program and Budget Organization.
Funding, including an additional 80 billion tomans allocated by the regime’s president Ebrahim Raisi during his visit to Semnan in the fall of 2022, underscores the regime’s commitment to the dam’s construction.
Despite these assurances, environmental activists continue to express grave concerns. In a report titled ‘A Dam that Brings Mazandaran to the Brink of Destruction,’ Jahan Sanat newspaper quoted environmental and water experts, denouncing the dam’s construction as destructive.
Experts warn of the submersion of at least 40 hectares of Hyrcanian forests, 400 hectares of agricultural lands, a disruption to the water rights of six thousand hectares of Mazandaran rice fields, and the creation of an ecological break in the Parvar protected area. Additionally, they predict that 25 villages in the region may face forced migration.
In response to protests from the people of Mazandaran, the Ministry of Energy has pledged to build other dams in the province. However, experts caution against indiscriminate dam construction, citing it as a primary contributor to Iran’s water crisis.
