Baku, Azerbaijan, April 4
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Total precipitation in Iran has reached some 283.461 billion cubic meters during the current crop year started on September 22, 2013.
Iran has experienced 172 millimeters of precipitation from the beginning of the current crop year, which indicates an 8 percent decline compared to the long-term average precipitation, Iranian Mehr news agency reported on April 4.
Compared to the same period of the last crop year, total precipitation in Iran indicates a fall by 3 percent.
The situation of water resources in Iran has passed beyond the critical stage, the country's media outlets quoted the Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian as saying in February. During the past decade, precipitations have declined to 242 millimetres from 250 millimetres, he noted.
At present, 96 billion cubic meters of the country's total 120 billion cubic meters of renewable water resources is being consumed annually, he said, adding that if 40-60 percent of renewable water resources is consumed in any country, that country is said to be in critical condition.
The water shortage has reached a critical level in Tabriz, Isfahan, Ahwaz, Qum, Mashhad and Hamadan cities, advisor to Iran's Energy Minister, Hamidrza Janbaz said on Nov.17, Mehr agency reported.
"A drought has being observed in the country for nearly 13 years. The demand for water increases with population growth," Janbaz added.
Last summer, Iran's water supply company warned in a special statement about the water shortage in several cities of the country and imposed quotas for fresh water.
Iran is located in an arid zone and the country has been repeatedly been faced with drought over the past 40 years. The drought of 1992-2002 caused a major blow to agriculture. There were quotas imposed for fresh water in several cities including Tehran.