Water inflow to Iranian dams drops by 6%

TEHRAN – Despite holding 22.66 billion cubic meters of stored water, only 44 percent of Iran’s dam capacity is currently utilized, leaving 56 percent unfilled, according to official reports.

In the first 70 days of the current water year (starting late September), 3.25 billion cubic meters of water entered the country’s dams. This marks a six percent decrease compared to the 3.45 billion cubic meters recorded during the same period in the previous water year.

During this time, 5.15 billion cubic meters of water were released from dams to meet drinking water, agricultural, industrial, and environmental needs. This represents a two percent reduction compared to the 5.27 billion cubic meters released during the corresponding period last year.

As of now, Iran’s dam reservoirs contain 22.66 billion cubic meters of water. A year ago, on December 1, 2023, water reserves stood at 20.35 billion cubic meters, indicating an 11 percent increase in the current storage levels.

This updated data underscores both the persistent challenges of water resource management in Iran and the continued variability in annual water inflows.

EF/