Some 300 major cities across Iran are on the verge of water tensions
Iranian media outlets have revealed an open message sent by the “Water Foundation” to President Hassan Rowhani warning of “escalating conflicts in Iranian provinces over water sharing in the near future” as the country is facing an unprecedented water crisis.
“In the near future, competing for limited water resources will expand, and conflicts over shares will spread across the country,” the “Iranian Water Corporation” said in an open statement yesterday to Rowhani, signed by 110 experts, researchers and scientists in the water field.
The head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament, Alaa El-ddin Boroujerdi has confirmed that the “water crisis” has turned into a security issue and the parliament established the (Water Security Committee) to track the repercussions of the crisis.
“The water resources in the country are very limited; Iran is one of the driest places in the world and we have a water crisis that has practically become a security issue,” Boroujerdi criticized 38 years of neglecting the water crisis in his country, which is the age of the Islamic revolution.
Rahim Maidani, water official at the Iranian Energy Ministry, said that 295 cities, including 6 large cities, are facing drought and water crisis in the country.
Demonstrations have been launched in cities such as Ahwaz, which accuses the government of directing water towards the Persian provinces in the center of Iran, as well as Isfahan, what increases the complains is the of lack of water, where some Iranian officials warned of the emergence of internal conflicts in the near future because of the water crisis in the country.
Two years ago the former agriculture minister Issa Klanter warned of the crisis and said that 50 million Iranians would have to emigrate over the next two decades in order to survive.
Source: Al Arabiya