image: Communities in vast areas of Iran are facing severe groundwater shortage. A villager examines water at a well in Patargan sub-basin, eastern Iran, where water flow has diminished due to physical limits to groundwater extraction. view more
Credit: Image credit: Mohsen Maghrebi.
###
A study documents extensive groundwater depletion in Iran. Many arid regions, including those in the United States, use groundwater for irrigation, but overuse of groundwater can deplete aquifers. Roohollah Noori and colleagues analyzed 14 years of historical groundwater data representing 85.5% of Iran's aquifers. From 2002 to 2015, the number of groundwater extraction points increased by 84.9% to more than 1 million. However, the amount of groundwater extracted declined by an average of 18% primarily due to physical limits to fresh groundwater availability, including excessive aquifer drawdown and groundwater salinization. Groundwater extraction from deep wells increased, likely in response to supply shortfalls from shallow wells and springs. Deep groundwater extraction can further deplete shallow sources by drawing down the groundwater that supplies the sources. The authors report that the groundwater table has declined in all of Iran's 30 sub-basins, and 28 sub-basins have become increasingly saline. Countrywide, the groundwater table fell by an average of 49 cm/year. In 16 sub-basins, salinity, which is indicated by electrical conductivity, increased to levels suitable only for irrigation of salt-tolerant crops. According to the authors, the combination of groundwater depletion and salinization endanger Iran's water security, socioeconomic development, and environment.
Article #20-24221: "Anthropogenic depletion of Iran's aquifers," by Roohollah Noori et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Roohollah Noori, University of Oulu, Oulu, FINLAND; tel: +358403294098; email: <roohollahnoori@gmail.com>
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences