Baku, Azerbaijan, May 30
By Fatih Karimov – Trend:
Iran's dam reservoir input reached 32.69 billion cubic meters during the current crop year, which began Sept. 22, 2016.
The figure indicates a 15 percent fall compared to same period of preceding year, Iran’s energy ministry reported May. 30.
Water reserves behind Iran's reservoirs have reached 33.45 billion cubic meters by May 21, 2 percent less-year-on-year, according to the report.
The reserves are about 67 percent of reservoirs' total capacity, which currently is about 49.7 billion cubic meters.
Dam reservoir output from the beginning of the current crop year also stood at 23.99 billion cubic meters, compared to 23.88 billion cubic meters of output in the same period of the preceding year.
The volume of surface water runoff in Iran dropped by 8 percent during the current crop year, in comparison with the same period of preceding year.
The volume of run-off in Iran stood at 41.978 billion cubic meters in the 8-month period to May 21.
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.