Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 14
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Water consumption in Iran is nearly double of indices announced by the Food and Agriculture Organization.
Iran's deputy agriculture minister Abbas Keshavarz said that based on FAO indices, extracting 40 percent of water resources is allowed in each country. This is while 75 percent of water resources are being extracted in the country, Iran's Fars news agency reported on Feb. 14.
The per capita consumption of water in the national level is below 1,000 cubic meters, he said, adding, "This means entering the phase of critical tension."
"The reason, in my opinion, is overuse of water for agricultural, industrial, healthcare, and drinking purposes," he noted
Earlier FAO announced that it is considering developing a comprehensive plan to address the water shortage problem in Iran.
The Islamic Republic is located in an arid zone and the country faces a serious water shortage crisis.
However, many experts believe that the current water shortage problem is a result of water resources mismanagement, rather than the drought.