Can't wash, can't farm: Iranians battle 'water bankruptcy'
Iran warns of water rationing as drought causes dam levels to plummet; experts blame mismanagement and climate change.
- Iranians urged to cut water use as dam levels fall
- Nationwide water shortage cripples farmers
- Shortfall resembles 'overdrawn bank account'
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Scientists say the water shortages are mainly caused by decades of mismanagement, inefficient agricultural practices, and a growing population - but have also been exacerbated by rising temperatures due to climate change.
Mohsen Mesgaran, assistant professor of plant sciences at UC Davis in California, said agriculture, which accounts for 90% of Iran's water allocation, is the main driver of the current crisis.
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Excessive extraction and depletion of groundwater for farming have caused significant land subsidence with cracks and sinkholes appearing in cities, sometimes swallowing whole cars.
In Tehran, the rate of land subsidence is 31cm a year.
In industrial cities such as Isfahan, Khashan and Yazd, any land that lies under highways and airports now risks collapsing.
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