BLOG
August 20th, 2017
Via the Financial Tribune, commentary on Iran’s water scarcity challenges ahead:
Combating drought is impossible and Iran must learn instead to adapt to its effects, the head of the Drought and Climate Change Workgroup at the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization said.
Speaking on a radio program, Masoud Goudarzi went on to urge all state and private entities to direct their policies toward drought adjustment.
“Floods, for instance, must be controlled so that the water can flow toward wetlands,” he was quoted as saying by ISNA.
Goudarzi stressed the importance of employing farming practices compatible with the local climatic conditions.
“We need to study the potentials of every region and determine the type and amount of crop it can yield,” he said, emphasizing that the same procedure must not be practiced across the entire country.
The official also pointed to climate change as one of the causes of water shortage.
“The whole world has been struggling with climate change since the industrial revolution when the level of greenhouse gases began to increase drastically,” he said.
Describing the planet as an interconnected system, Goudarzi said a minor climatic change at one end of the world will exert an influence on the other.
“Human interference with nature has disturbed its balance, leading to the present catastrophic impact on our own lives,” he said. An important measure is to keep the balance between greenhouse gas sources and sinks.
Forest fires and volcanic eruptions as well as the burning of fossil fuels, solid waste and wood are among the main sources of greenhouse gases. Trees, vegetation and oceans on the other hand are major natural sinks.
Iran has been battling drought for over 15 years, thanks to declining rainfall, rising temperatures, inefficient farming practices, excessive consumption in metropolises and poor management of resources.
Energy officials say Iran’s annual water deficit is about 5.7 billion cubic meters, which they hope to compensate by 2022, when the sixth five-year economic development plan (2017-22) is expected to end.