Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 10
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Precipitations in Iran during the current crop year (started on Sept. 22) have decreased by 21 percent.
Between Sept. 23 and Jan. 7, precipitations amounted to 70 millimeters, compared to 89 millimeters in the same period last year, Iran's IRIB reported on Jan. 10.
The highest and the lowest precipitations were related to Dehloran in western Ilam province and Miandeh in southeastern Kerman province, with 168 percent rise and 100 percent decline, respectively.
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.