A study published on Wednesday, January 24, assessing global underground water levels over the past four decades revealed that Iran ranks among the three nations most severely impacted by the rapid and widespread decline of fresh water.
According to the Reuters news agency, drawing on insights from the scientific journal ‘Nature,’ unsustainable irrigation practices and climate change are the primary culprits behind the ‘widespread’ and ‘accelerated’ depletion of underground water worldwide.
Examining 170,000 wells across more than 40 countries, the study pinpointed arid climates and expansive agricultural regions as hotspots for the decline, with Northern China, Iran, and the western United States emerging as the most affected areas.
Disturbingly, over the past 22 years, more than a third of sedimentary rock masses globally, crucial for storing underground water, have witnessed an annual decline of at least one meter.
Particularly alarming are findings indicating that certain aquifers in Spain, Iran, China, and the United States have experienced a reduction exceeding 2 meters per year during this period.
A primary driver of this concerning trend is the excessive extraction of groundwater for irrigated agriculture in dry climates. Climate change-induced droughts exacerbate the situation, prompting farmers to intensify groundwater withdrawal to secure crop irrigation.
Given that groundwater serves as a principal source of fresh water for agriculture, households, and industries, its depletion poses severe economic and environmental threats. These include diminished crop yields and destructive land subsidence, especially in coastal areas.
While some countries have managed to curb groundwater pumping and implement preventive measures to partially restore underground aquifers, environmental experts and activists in Iran have persistently highlighted the escalating decline of water in wetlands, lakes, and rivers across different provinces.
As of January 21, the Director General of Environmental Protection in Fars province disclosed that out of 14 wetlands in the region, at least 6, including Parishan and Bakhtegan, are entirely dry.
Ata Pourshirzad expressed a grim outlook, stating that, under current conditions and management practices, the revival of these wetlands seems bleak.
He cited instances such as Pharishan and Kaftar lakes, once thriving freshwater ecosystems, now lying dry with significant subsidence. Moreover, Maharlo Lake, holding only 15-20% water, faces various pollution challenges.
Meanwhile, the contentious drying of Lake Urmia and the implementation of the ‘mulching’ project on parts of its bed have sparked controversy. Lake Urmia, in its worst historical condition, faces the looming possibility of complete desiccation.
The CEO of Iran’s water and sewage company has disclosed that 339 cities across the country are currently grappling with water stress, marking an increase from the previous year. Hashem Amini, addressing reporters, attributed this concerning trend to the nation entering its ‘fourth year of drought,’ noting that the water conditions in ’26 provinces’ fall below the standard level.
Amini emphasized the precarious state of both surface and underground water resources, expressing particular concern about the worsening conditions in four provinces – Tehran, Sistan-Baluchistan, Golestan, and Mashhad – in comparison to the previous year. In response to the severity of the situation, water supply is being managed in a special and emergency manner in 16 provinces and 28 cities.
