Human life, plant life, animal life; in fact, every form of life that makes up our planet’s precious ecosystems depends upon water. This “Blue Gold” makes up 71% of the Earth, the human body itself being 60% water. Access to water is thus a fundamental right needed for survival, but its scarcity is endangering multiple regions across the globe.
The water concerns in Iran have been noticeable since the early 2000s. The crisis has not cropped up from nowhere. A major drought in 1999 laid bare the nation’s vulnerability to water scarcity. Villages had to be evacuated and there were national water shortages. By September 2001, Iran’s largest body of water, Lake Hamoun, completely dried up. A lack of political commitment to tackle the issues that this raised, has put the country’s water in jeopardy. Decades of blunders, corruption, oversight, and sanctions are boiling over. Over 28 million people (of Iran’s total population of 85 million) are living in water-stressed areas.
Recent Protests
Uncertainty over Iran’s future water supply has led to widespread public discontent. Sink holes, dust storms, desertification, soil erosion, pollution and numerous other forms of environmental devastation are on the rise. The water crisis recently gained media attention when protests broke out mid-July in the Khuzestan region. The protests continued for 10 days. Tragically, 12 citizens lost their lives to Iran’s security forces, and more than 350 people were detained. The regime disrupted phone and internet networks to suppress the protests, which spilled over into many cities beyond Khuzestan.
Protesters could be heard chanting, “I am thirsty!” Yet, their legitimate concerns were met with violence. Protesters were unfairly labelled “seditionists” by authorities. One witness remarked that security forces “shot at people indiscriminately” despite demonstrations being peaceful, and asked, “Why are they shooting at us? We were not even carrying rocks and sticks. We just chanted that we wanted water.”
Khuzestan is economically and strategically important for Iran, but it is also rife with grievances. Despite Khuzestan being water-rich, its large rivers have been blocked by badly-planned dams to divert it for agricultural, industrial, and domestic uses elsewhere, in addition to hydroelectricity. Some of its wetland areas have been destroyed by road construction and basins made for oil exploration. This has gnawed away at the livelihood of Khuzestan’s population; the majority of whom are ethnically Arab. Tensions have long been fraught between them and the Persian-dominated local and national governments. Many of the Khuzestanis consider the diversion of resources a “systematic” discrimination that has drained their province.
Inaction and Poor Governance
Local Iranian authorities have failed to tackle the public’s growing water demands. The amount of water Iran consumes daily is similar to that of countries like France and Denmark. The critical difference, however, is that these European countries are not at risk of water scarcity. With around 90% of Iran’s wetlands drying up, the economy, food, and water security are all in danger. Efforts to reduce water consumption are long overdue.
Moreover, much of the technology in rural areas and smaller towns is outdated and underdeveloped. Decades of unsustainable development include the hyper-construction of dams, interference with natural watercourses and sources of irrigation, plus disregard of expert opinion. Bad planning is exemplified by the Gotvand Dam built in 2012 upon salt beds. This has led to the build-up of salt deposits which have increased the River Karun’s salinity by 12%. A staggering 370,000 hectares of agricultural land have been adversely affected.
Corruption is likewise aggravating this crisis. Unqualified officials have at times been appointed to direct water-related structural projects. Water resources have sometimes been diverted in the interests of politicians. Academics who have tried denouncing this selfish profiteering have been harassed or even arrested, exposing the tyrannical nuances to the ecological crisis.
Alarming Statistics
Issa Kalantari, the head of Iran’s Environmental Agency, warns that 70% of the country’s population is facing severe water shortages. This has already started affecting electricity, as power cuts rise due to the lack of hydroelectric power. With summer temperatures in some regions now hitting 50 degrees Celsius and above, it comes as no surprise that people are using their AC units more. These devour huge amounts of electricity. 25% of Iran’s power comes from dams, but this past year, these dams have been less than half full.
The situation is dire. Rural communities have been hit hardest as the agricultural sector depends on water. Drought has meant crop failure, ruined agriculture, and destroyed livestock. Agricultural intensification and evaporation resulting from ineffective irrigation methods has further strained water resources. Due to water and energy subsidies from the state, farmers have had little incentive to improve their water efficiency. This is a major oversight given that the agricultural use of water accounts for 92% of Iran’s water consumption.
The Future of Iran’s Foreign Policy
Both the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq war devastated Iran. Coupled with ongoing western sanctions, the country has frequently been prevented from advancing technologically. The US in particular has been determined to stop Iranian oil exports, forcing Tehran to search for other sources of income. This has exacerbated the water crisis as alternative industries like mining and petrochemicals are very water-intensive. In a bid to remain as self-reliant as possible, Iran has unfortunately become even more water-stressed by diversifying its economy in a non-ecological manner.
12 out of the 17 most water-stressed states in the world are located in the Middle East and North Africa. Therefore, though this is the worst water crisis in Iran’s modern history, it is unfortunately not a situation limited to Iran. Despite fragile relations between Iran and its Arab neighbours, there needs to be greater dialogue on the environmental crisis. All the Persian Gulf states depend upon oil and gas exports. This contributes to climate change but simultaneously aggravates the region’s vulnerability to its consequences. In addition to diversifying their economies, the Gulf states need to cooperate to take on the immediate challenges relating to water.
The share ecology and water challenges should pave a path for collaboration between countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran. They need to share their technological expertise to ensure development is sustainable. The Biden administration is also interested in pushing this cooperation on the environmental front to help deescalate tensions with Iran. It is estimated Tehran needs $30 billion plus 10 years to solve the water crisis. Debilitating US sanctions, high inflation, and the ongoing pandemic all make this seem beyond reach. Water scarcity and higher temperatures will likely cause vast climate migration, with nearly 50 million Iranians projected to become climate migrants.
Some progress has been made. Iran has invested in desalination facilities and cooperated with the UN to train farmers with water-efficient techniques. The state has also sponsored adverts on TV to explain why and how households should save water. Equally, the Iranian state must uphold the rights of its citizens and not ignore the genuine concerns protesters recently voiced. Internationally, it must strive to collaborate with its neighbours, prioritising environmental issues over frictional political tensions. Diplomats must focus on mutually advantageous cooperation on water-related tensions. This can save the region’s ecosystems, and every form of life dependent on it.
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