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Precipitation in Iran increases by 50%

Business Materials 17 November 2014 18:44 (UTC +04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Umid Niayesh - Trend:

Iran's average daily precipitation during the current crop year (started on Sept. 22) stood at 27 millimeters, 50 percent more year on year, the Islamic Republic's Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian said.

The figure also indicates a 60 percent increase compared to the long-term average precipitation (last 47 years), Chitchian said, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported Nov. 17.

The minister expressed hope that the drought crisis in the country would be solved if the current trend continues until the end of current crop year.

"It all depends on the country's climate condition in the next months," he added.

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.

Iran's total annual water consumption is approximately 93 billion cubic meters, out of which about 92 percent is used in agriculture (86 billion cubic meters), 6.6 percent in municipality (6.18 billion cubic meters), and 1.2 percent in industry (1.12 billion cubic meters), according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Up to 70 percent of water used in the agriculture sector is being wasted, Iranian officials say.

While commenting on achievements of the Islamic Republic in water industry sector, Chitchian said Iranian experts are presently fully capable of constructing dams, hydroelectric power plants, water and wastewater refineries and pipes in various sizes.

He further underlined that Iranian companies are active in 20 foreign countries in water and wastewater projects.

Chitchian said his ministry is currently in charge of water and wastewater projects worth $1.6 billion in Iraq.

The Islamic Republic's products in this sector are exported to over 40 countries, he added.
The minister emphasized that the government fully supports the companies that are active in the export sector.

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