Iran developing indigenous farming model to save water

According to Trend News Agency, the agricultural sector uses the highest amount of water in Iran accounting for 86 percent of the entire water consumption in Iran.

This model is being developed by the Supreme Council on Water, which is headed by the first vice president and includes representatives of a multiplicity of ministries and organizations, Mohammad Ebrahimnia, the head of the Ministry of Energy's Macro-Planning Office of the Water and Wastewater Department, told Trend October 18.

"This plan will hopefully come through by March, 20, 2018. It takes into account the climatic features of the country and the resources," Ebrahimnia said.

He hoped that given the focus on protecting the environment and conserving water resources, authorities would eventually put Iran's water management on the right track.

"We are also pursuing many other policies to maximize efficient use of water. Using modern irrigation systems and importing the latest technologies, reducing the average age of farmers, and encouraging greenhouse farming are on agenda."

Iran is located in one of the most water-stressed regions in the world. Average annual rainfall is around 250 millimeters per year, or almost one-fourth of average global precipitation. That is compounded by excessive and seemingly unrestrained consumption of the dwindling resource.

Water consumption rose 2.5 percent in the six months from March to September this year compared to the amount for the same period last year, said Sattar Mahmoudi, the caretaker minister of energy, in September.