The United Nations (UN) said in its annual report on water access that the world is “facing a water crisis” and listed Iran as one of the countries experiencing “severe water shortages.”
The UN World Water Development Report released this week ahead of World Water Day, which is celebrated on Friday (22/3), states that in the two decades ending in 2021, drought affected more than 1.4 billion people worldwide, and causing nearly 21,000 deaths.
In a report in August, the Washington-based World Resources Institute highlighted Iran among 25 countries grappling with severe water shortages.
The regions most experiencing water shortages are the Middle East and North Africa, where 83 percent of the population experiences severe water shortages, and South Asia, where 74 percent of the population experiences water shortages, according to the report.
The report said that 25 countries – home to a quarter of the global population – use more than 80 percent of their renewable water supplies for irrigation, livestock, industry and domestic needs, and that even a short-term drought would put these places in danger of running out of water.
The report states that the five countries experiencing the most water shortages are Bahrain, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman and Qatar.
Other countries in the top 25 are Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Botswana, Jordan, Chile, San Marino, Belgium, Greece, Tunisia, Namibia, South Africa, Iraq, India and Syria.
According to the World Resources Institute, global water demand is projected to increase by 20 percent to 25 percent by 2050, while the number of regions facing water scarcity each year is expected to increase by 19 percent.
WRI said, for the Middle East and North Africa, this means that 100 percent of the population will experience very high water shortages by 2050.
The institute's report cited Iran as an example where decades of poor water management and unsustainable use of water for agriculture have led to protests. These tensions will only increase as water shortages worsen.
Nikahang Kowsar, a water resources expert, told VOA, “Water scarcity in many countries around the world, including the Middle East, is caused by various factors, including population growth, unsustainable development, overuse and the impact of climate change, such as changes in rainfall patterns and climate change. increased evaporation.”
Kowsar said top-down decision-making, the absence of democratic practices in government and lack of participation in decision-making are factors that exacerbate difficult conditions in various regions in Iran.
He further emphasized that “overexploitation of groundwater to meet agricultural and urban needs has led Iran to a water famine.”
Kowsar said with the significant reduction in groundwater levels and failure to replenish extracted water, it is expected that in the coming years, water scarcity in several regions in Iran will increase, leading to instability and increased tensions.
The World Resources Institute says at least 50 percent of the world's population – about 4 billion people – live in conditions of extreme water shortage for at least one month of the year, endangering human lives, jobs, food and energy security. (ft)