Title: Thirsty Iran, Visionary Iran – Strategic Solutions to the Water Crisis by Seyed Mohsen Hosseini Khorasani
Introduction: In a world where water is not just a source of life but a foundation of civilizations and a central axis of development, Iran is facing one of the most serious threats in its history: a growing and complex water crisis. This is not merely an environmental or climatic issue; it is a multidimensional crisis with social, economic, security, and even existential implications. As an industrial developer and founder of over 100 production units across Iran’s diverse climate zones, I believe that managing this crisis demands a holistic, scientific, and systems-based perspective—rooted in a deep understanding of Iran’s natural and human realities.
A) Root Causes of Iran’s Water Crisis:
1. Arid and semi-arid climate over more than 80% of Iran’s land
2. Declining annual precipitation and rising evaporation due to global warming
3. Inefficient consumption patterns in agriculture and water-intensive industries
4. Urban and industrial development without proper water capacity assessments
5. Outdated and inefficient water infrastructure and distribution systems
6. Lack of a cohesive and integrated water governance framework
B) Scientific and Structural Solutions to Overcome the Crisis:
1. Redesigning Water Governance with Transparency and Public Participation: Establishing a national water management authority that includes civil society representatives, scientific experts, industry leaders, farmers, and government officials to unify and coordinate water-related decision-making.
2. Reforming Agriculture from Water-Intensive to Efficiency-Based: Replacing high-consumption crops such as watermelon, rice, and alfalfa with drought-resistant native species, promoting smart greenhouse cultivation, and applying climate data-driven drip irrigation systems.
3. Utilizing Advanced Technologies in Recycling and Desalination: Investing in urban and industrial wastewater treatment for reuse in industry, and deploying solar-powered desalination units in southern coastal areas.
4. Water Diplomacy and Regional Agreements: Engaging in constructive dialogue and long-term treaties with neighboring countries to secure fair water shares from transboundary rivers like Helmand, Aras, and Tigris based on shared security and mutual benefits.
5. Promoting Low-Water-Use Industries in Critical Regions: Instead of transferring water to heavy industries, prioritize the development of low-water-use sectors such as IT, knowledge-based firms, and small-scale manufacturing in arid regions.
6. Reengineering Old Infrastructure to Reduce Waste: Over 30% of drinking water in urban and rural areas is lost through leaks and deteriorated pipelines. Renovating these networks must become a top priority in public budget allocations.
7. Public Education and Responsible Water Culture: Through schools, media, religious centers, and social networks, the narrative of responsible water use and public participation must become the dominant cultural discourse.
8. Creating a Real-Time Water Monitoring Platform: Designing a national dashboard to display real-time dam levels, regional consumption, groundwater status, and automated warnings can enable data-driven decision-making.
C) Strategic Innovation: Mapping Iran’s Water-Industrial Capacity One of my key proposals is the implementation of a national water-industrial capacity mapping system. Each region of Iran would be classified based on renewable water resources, rainfall, groundwater quality, and access to cross-border waters, then assigned industrial development priorities accordingly. This alignment between industrial growth and regional water capacity could prevent future crises and guide sustainable development.
D) The Role of Information Technology in Water Management: Digital technologies must form the backbone of new water governance. From intelligent sensors in agriculture fields for precision irrigation, to smart household and industrial meters, and even AI-based crisis prediction systems, technology paired with political will can work wonders.
Conclusion: Iran—the land of sun and mountains—despite all its challenges, still holds the potential to restore its water future through rationality, technology, collective action, and transparency. The water crisis, if accurately understood, can mark the beginning of a national renaissance in resource governance and social solidarity. Let today’s thirst awaken tomorrow’s wisdom. Let our children see Iran not in yearning for rain, but in the glory of resilience.
Written by: Seyed Mohsen Hosseini Khorasani