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Iranian president refers to water shortage as main concern

Business Materials 19 November 2013 12:37 (UTC +04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19

By Fatih Karimov - Trend:

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said that the water shortage and irregular exploitation of underground water are among the main concerns of the administration, IRIB reported on November 19.

In a message to a conference held on World Science Day for Peace and Development, Rouhani said that precipitation in Iran amounts to 250mm annually which is one third of the global average.

Some 300 plains in the country are in a critical water shortage situation, he said, adding that Lake Urmia and a number of wetlands are drying up.

Advisor of Iran's Energy Minister Hamidrza Janbaz said on Nov.17 that the water shortage has reached a critical level in Tabriz, Isfahan, Khuzestan, Qum, Mashhad and Hamadan provinces, MEHR agency reported.

According to Janbaz, a special programme is currently being worked out in order to solve the water shortage problem in the next three years.

"A drought has been evident in the country for nearly 13 years. The demand for water increases with population growth," Janbaz said.
In July Iran's water supply company issued a special statement stating about the water shortage in several cities of the country and imposing quotas for fresh water.
Iran is located in an arid zone and the country has repeatedly been faced with drought in the past 40 years.
The drought of 1992-2002 caused a major blow on agriculture. There were imposed quotas for fresh water in several cities including Tehran.

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