Workshop on Operationalizing the Regional Collaborative Platform to Address ‘Water Consumption, Water Productivity and Drought Management’ in Agriculture, 27 - 29 October 2015, Cairo, Egypt

1. Bahram Taheri
Senior Environment, Health and Safety Advisor
To the Minister of Energy (and Water Resources)
Islamic Republic of Iran
bahramtaheri1011@yhoo.com
Operatioalizing the Regional Collaborative Platform to Address
“Water Consumption”, “Water Productivity” and “Drought Management”
In Agriculture
NENA Stakeholder Workshop
27-29 October, Cairo, Egypt

2. Lake Urmia, 1997
Blue Sky Meeting the Blue Water

3. Let’s Look at the Scale of Things!

4. All water on the planet (sphere over western U.S., 1384 Km in diameter)
Fresh liquid water in the ground, lakes, swamps, and rivers
(sphere over Kentucky, 273 Km in diameter), and
Fresh-water lakes and rivers (the Tiny sphere over Georgia, 56 Km in
diameter).

5. Earth, Water and Air

6. The thin Atmosphere, Moon and Earth

7. Layers of Water
Approx.
in m
Km V in Km3 A in Km2 Layer Thickness
R of Earth 6371 1.083E+12 510064041
Spread Over
Earth
R of Water Globe 692 1.388E+09 2721.33
R of Freah Water Globe 136.5 10653350 20.89
R of Fresh Surface W Globe 28 91952.245 0.18

8. Let Me Define A New Layer!
Let’s Check its Thickness
And Then
Teach it His Scale!?
World Population 7.5E+09
Avg. Weight in Kg 68
Total Weight in Kg 5.1E+11
Approx. Density 1
Human Volume in Liters 5.1E+11
Human Volume in Km3 0.51
Human Layer in Meters 9.999E-07
Human Layer in Microns 0.9998744
Human Layer, Defined By: Bahram Taheri, 2014

9. A Space of Waste

12. CO2 Concentration Change in the
Atmosphere within the Past 500,000 Years
Company Logo 12

13. Company Logo 13
Temperature Changes of Earth within the
Past 500,000 Years

14. An Alarming Correlation

15. CO2 Conc. Trend in Atm. 1959-2014
Source: NOAA
300.00
310.00
320.00
330.00
340.00
350.00
360.00
370.00
380.00
390.00
400.00
410.00
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
CO2 ppm
CO2 ppm

16. Monthly CO2 Concentrations in the
Atmosphere in 2014
394.00
395.00
396.00
397.00
398.00
399.00
400.00
401.00
402.00
403.00
0.00 6.00 12.00
2014, Monthly CO2 ppm

17. CO2 Concentration Changes in the Atmosphere,
Based on Measures Daily and Weekly Averages

18. Changes with Continental Scales!

19. Dark VS White Surfaces
A Runaway Procedure?

20. Losing the Elements of Thermal Balance

21. An Ever Reducing Space for Everyone!

22. Not Only for the Animals!

23. Some Will Drawn

24. Some Will Face Drought

25. Then We Will Pray

26. Either in the US

27. Or in Isfahan of Iran

28. The Young Kids in the Drought Stricken Villages of
Central Iran Pray for Rain

29. The Open and Closed Eyes of the
People of the Past, Present and
Future

35. How Can we Overlook the
Pyramid,
in the Land of Pyramids?
Food
Security
Environmental Security
Energy
Security
Water
Securit
y

36. Water Irr.
Rainfed

37. Study Zones

38. DAMS

39. Deep Wells

40. Shallow Wells

41. aline Wels,
WI

42. Irrigation &
Drainage
Systems

43. ‫احیا‬‫ه‬‫ر‬‫دو‬
‫تثبیت‬‫ه‬‫ر‬‫دو‬
‫ی‬‫نهای‬‫احیای‬
‫اکولوژیک‬‫از‬‫ر‬‫ت‬
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Stabilization Period
Restoration
Period
Final Stage
19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September 1-5, 2014
Ecological
Level

44. Restoration of the Ecological Level
Vision for 2023
‫ارومیه‬
May 2014
Level=1270.53
‫ارویه‬
May 2002
Level=1274.5019th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014

45. Schematic river basin lake, 15 Rivers Aji
Chai
Azarshahr
Chai
Ghaleh
Chai
Sofi
Chai
Mardogh
Chai
Laylan
Chai
Zarineh
rood
Simineh
rood
Lake Urmia
Zola Chai
Nazlou Chai
Rozeh Chai
Shahr Chai
Barandouz
Chai
Gadar Chai
Mahabad
Chai

46. Location of
major dams in
operation
Tajyar
sarab
Kordkand
y
Sarogh
Sharchi
Ghaleh
chi
Alaviyan
Nahand
Zola
Mahaba
d
Hasanl
o
Bokan
Salmas
Kordestan Province
E. Azarbaijan
W. Az. Province

47. 19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014
More than 16,000 pumps are pumping water from
the surface and groundwater resources, mostly unauthorized.
2000 mobile pumps extract more then 100 MCM/Year alone.
One critical effect of Energy Consumption on Water Resources

48. Changes in
Water
Elevation and
Area of the
Lake between
1976 and 2011

49. Remarkable similarity Between the Sister
Lakes
50 km
Feb
1970
July
2000
4300 km2 Area 5100 km2
4.4 m Mean Depth 6 m
1280 m Elevation 1275 m
Both have causeways dividing them;
both have watersheds in 3 states
41°N 37°N

50. LU and GSL are both like flat Frying
Pans

51. 51
‫آبي‬ ‫كم‬
‫خشك‬
‫تكامل‬ ‫روند‬
‫شورابه‬
Changing of major Ions of brine to 3 new stages in wet, semi arid
and arid conditions from 2007 to 2011
During the time, sodium concentrations have decreased compared to Mg
concentration, which indicates huge amounts of Halite have been deposited on
Lake’s periphery and bed. That is, sodium has passed from solution phase to solid
phase

52. $1,946
$651
Aquaculture
(brine shrimp)
Mining/Industrial
- magnesium
- potash
- titanium
Recreation
- hunting
- bird watching
- boating, swimming
$6800
Economic Value of the Great Salt Lake – $9.4 Billion (US)
8% of the gross economic product of the State of Utah
(Makes people interested in the lake)
(Bioeconomics 2012)
(72%)
(21%)
(7%)

53. Great Salt Lake
Resources
Recreation ($650 million)
Hunting
Boating
Bird watching
Swimming

54. Brine Shrimp
(Artemia franciscana)
$650 million of total
economic benefit

55. Connection of
Simineh
Gadar
Mahabad
Rivers
Vast dissipation
of
Zarrineh River
Before reaching
the lake
Sattelaite
Image
Water Losses Before Rivers Reach the Water Body
19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014

56. Slopes of the southern shores of the Lake
19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014

58. Slopes of the
Eastern Shores
Aji Chai
19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014

59. Thick Layers of Salt after Water
Evaporation
19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014

60. Silty-Clay Dusts
River Deltas
Around the Islands
19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014

61. Sand Dunes on the Southern Shores
19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014

62. No.
Area
Square
Km
Frequency
1391
2886
3231
4234
5444
Centersof ObservedDustStorms
19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014

63. ‫ياچه‬‫ر‬‫د‬ ‫جنويب‬ ‫حمدوده‬–‫ارديبهشت‬1393
19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014

64. Southern Shores
19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014

65. Water Withdrawals/year in MCM
Deep
Wells
Semi-
Deep
ElectricDieselTotal
MCM829119489711242022
# of
Wells
6,43880,80427,86359,37887,242
19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014, Bahram Taheri

66. 2006 Economic Statistics of the Basin
Sector
%
Basin
Gross Product
%
Employment
% Water
Consumption
Service5836.51
Industry2734.21.4
Agriculture1529.389
19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014, Bahram Taheri

67. Land Ownership in the Basin
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
‫زیر‬‫اضی‬‫ر‬‫ا‬1‫تار‬‫هک‬ ‫اضی‬‫ر‬‫ا‬1‫تا‬5‫تار‬‫هک‬ ‫اضی‬‫ر‬‫ا‬5‫تا‬20‫تار‬‫هک‬ ‫اضی‬‫ر‬‫ا‬20‫تا‬50‫تار‬‫هک‬ ‫از‬‫بیش‬‫اضی‬‫ر‬‫ا‬50‫تار‬‫هک‬
%Ownershipoflands
Urmia
Iran
< 1 ha 1-5 ha 5-20ha 20-50 > 50 ha
19th Reform Group Meeting, Salzburg - September
1-5, 2014 (Bahram Taheri)

68. Saltwater Intrusion

69. Saltwater Intrusion

70. Saltwater Intrusion

71. Saltwater Intrusion

72. Where and When Did We Lose Our
Sight on the
Scope and Scale of Things?

83. Tabriz 700 Years Ago
The Largest City Within the LU Basin
Farmers pay a tax for using the water from artificial reservoirs and
Qanats, usually 1/3 of their yield.
I think, this city is the best trade center in the world. Merchants
would pay a transit fee as well as a tax on the merchandize they
trade.
24 trade offices by people of Genoa alone are operating in Tabriz.
The tax collected by the governor of Tabriz from the European
merchants who were crossing the safe transport roads
constructed and operated by the Empire, is more than the
entire tax the king of France collects from all of France.
Ref. Harold Lamb:
The Last Great
Conqueror

84. GDP Comparison of Iran and others
in the Top 25 (Source, Wikipedia)
Rank Country Nominal GDP Agr. %
Industry
% Services% Agr. Net Ind. Net
Services
Net
0 World 71,707,302 5.90% 30.50% 63.60% 4,230,731 21,870,727 45,605,844
1 United States 15,684,750 1.12% 19.10% 79.70% 188,217 2,995,787 12,500,746
2 China 9,181,377 10.00% 43.90% 46.10% 918,138 3,611,671 3,792,665
3 Japan 5,963,969 1.20% 27.50% 71.40% 71,568 1,640,091 4,258,274
4 Germany 3,400,579 0.80% 28.10% 71.10% 27,205 955,563 2,417,812
5 France 2,608,699 1.90% 18.30% 79.80% 49,565 477,392 2,081,742
6 United Kingdom 2,440,505 0.70% 21% 78.30% 17,084 512,506 1,910,915
7 Brazil 2,395,968 5.40% 27.40% 67.20% 129,382 656,495 1,610,090
8 Russia 2,021,960 3.90% 36% 60.10% 78,856 727,906 1,215,198
25 Iran 482,445 11.20% 40.60% 48.20% 54,034 195,873 232,538

85. The Share of Agriculture in GDP
Rank Country Nominal GDP Agr. % Industry % Services% Agr. Net Ind. Net Services Net
1 India 1,841,710 17.40% 25.80% 56.90% 320,458 475,161 1,047,933
2 Indonesia 894,854 14.30% 46.90% 38.80% 127,964 419,687 347,203
3 Iran 482,445 11.20% 40.60% 48.20% 54,034 195,873 232,538
4 China 9,181,377 10.00% 43.90% 46.10% 918,138 3,611,671 3,792,665
5 Turkey 783,064 8.90% 28.10% 63% 69,693 220,041 493,330
6 World 71,707,302 5.90% 30.50% 63.60% 4,230,731 21,870,727 45,605,844
21 Switzerland 622,855 1.30% 27.70% 71% 8,097 172,531 442,227
22 Japan 5,963,969 1.20% 27.50% 71.40% 71,568 1,640,091 4,258,274
23 United States 15,684,750 1.12% 19.10% 79.70% 188,217 2,995,787 12,500,746
24 Germany 3,400,579 0.80% 28.10% 71.10% 27,205 955,563 2,417,812
25 United Kingdom 2,440,505 0.70% 21% 78.30% 17,084 512,506 1,910,915
26 Belgium 513,396 0.70% 21.60% 77.70% 3,594 110,894 398,909

86. The Share of Industry in GDP
Rank Country Nominal GDP Agr. %
Industry
% Services% Agr. Net Ind. Net
Services
Net
1 Saudi Arabia 657,049 2% 66.90% 31.10% 13,141 439,566 204,342
2 Indonesia 894,854 14.30% 46.90% 38.80% 127,964 419,687 347,203
3 China 9,181,377 10.00% 43.90% 46.10% 918,138 3,611,671 3,792,665
4 Iran 482,445 11.20% 40.60% 48.20% 54,034 195,873 232,538
5 South Korea 1,151,271 2.70% 39.80% 57.50% 31,084 458,206 661,981
22 Netherlands 770,224 2.80% 24.10% 73.20% 21,566 185,624 563,804
23 Belgium 513,396 0.70% 21.60% 77.70% 3,594 110,894 398,909
24 United Kingdom 2,440,505 0.70% 21% 78.30% 17,084 512,506 1,910,915
25 United States 15,684,750 1.12% 19.10% 79.70% 188,217 2,995,787 12,500,746
26 France 2,608,699 1.90% 18.30% 79.80% 49,565 477,392 2,081,742

87. The Share of Service Sector in the GDP
Rank Country Nominal GDP Agr. %
Industry
%
Services
% Agr. Net Ind. Net
Services
Net
1 France 2,608,699 1.90% 18.30% 79.80% 49,565 477,392 2,081,742
2 United States 15,684,750 1.12% 19.10% 79.70% 188,217 2,995,787 12,500,746
3 United Kingdom 2,440,505 0.70% 21% 78.30% 17,084 512,506 1,910,915
4 Belgium 513,396 0.70% 21.60% 77.70% 3,594 110,894 398,909
21 South Korea 1,151,271 2.70% 39.80% 57.50% 31,084 458,206 661,981
22 India 1,841,710 17.40% 25.80% 56.90% 320,458 475,161 1,047,933
23 Iran 482,445 11.20% 40.60% 48.20% 54,034 195,873 232,538
24 China 9,181,377 10.00% 43.90% 46.10% 918,138 3,611,671 3,792,665
25 Indonesia 894,854 14.30% 46.90% 38.80% 127,964 419,687 347,203
26 Saudi Arabia 657,049 2% 66.90% 31.10% 13,141 439,566 204,342

88. Large Inter Basin Water Transfers
name
Year of
construction
Length
Capacity (Million cubic
meters/year)
Costs (US$
bn)
California State Water
Project (USA)
Early 1960s-1990s 715 km 25 (10,300 cubic feet/sec) 5.2
Colorado River
Aqueduct (USA)
1933–1941 392 km 1603.5 (1.3m acre-feet/year) ?
Central Arizona
Project (USA)
1973-93 541 km 1850.2 (1.5m acre-feet/year) 3.6
National Water
Carrier (Israel)
1953-64 130 km 1.7 ?
Cutzamala System
(Mexico)
Late 1970s-late 1990s 154 km 2.1 (24 m3
/s) 1.3
All-American
Canal (USA)
1930s 132 km 64 (740 m3
/s) ?
Periyar Project
(India)
Commissioned in
1895
? 3.5 (41 m3
/s) ?
Indira Gandhi
Canal (India)
Since 1958 650 km ? ?
Telugu Ganga
project (India)
1977–2004 406 km 10.1 (3.7 bn m3/year) ?
Irtysh-
Karaganda scheme
(Kazakhstan)
1962–1974 450 km 6.5 (75 m3
/s) ?

89. Brief Cost Estimate

90. ‫زیستاب‬‫ژه‬‫و‬‫پر‬ ‫شماتیک‬ ‫نمای‬-‫اهر‬‫مسیر‬

91. The Salt Balance
For Conserved
Area 3500 km2
Estimated Net Evap m/y 0.85 m
Total Evap/yr Needed water 2.975 B C M
Transferred
water/year Salt/Liter Salt Content/Year SG Volume
Average
Thickness
In iters in Grams In Tons tons/m3 m3/year mm/year
2.975E+12 13 38,675,000 2.17 17,822,581 5.09
total initial Vol.
Salt Salt Content Age in yrs Salt Entry
Salt Entry
Ratio
m3 gr/lit tons Estimated
per year in
Tons Casp/Naural
30000000000 100 3000000000 20000 150000 258

92. ‫شیرین‬ ‫ب‬‫ا‬‫به‬‫ری‬‫شو‬‫تهاجم‬

93. ‫شیرین‬‫ب‬‫ا‬‫به‬‫ری‬‫شو‬‫تهاجم‬

94. ‫شیرین‬‫ب‬‫ا‬‫به‬‫ری‬‫شو‬‫تهاجم‬

95. ‫شیرین‬‫ب‬‫ا‬‫به‬‫ری‬‫شو‬‫تهاجم‬

96. ‫ذا‬ِ‫إ‬ َ‫و‬ ۗ ‫م‬ِ‫ه‬ِ‫س‬ُ‫ف‬‫ن‬َ‫أ‬ِ‫ب‬ ‫ما‬ ‫ِّروا‬‫ي‬َ‫غ‬ُ‫ي‬ ٰ‫ى‬ّ‫ت‬َ‫ح‬ ٍ‫وم‬َ‫ق‬ِ‫ب‬ ‫ما‬ ُ‫ر‬ِّ‫ي‬َ‫غ‬ُ‫ي‬ ‫ال‬ َ َّ‫َّللا‬ َّ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬
‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ِ‫ه‬ِ‫ن‬‫دو‬ ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ‫ُم‬‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ ‫ما‬ َ‫و‬ ۚ ُ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ َّ‫د‬َ‫ر‬َ‫م‬ ‫ال‬َ‫ف‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ء‬‫سو‬ ٍ‫وم‬َ‫ق‬ِ‫ب‬ ُ َّ‫َّللا‬ َ‫د‬‫را‬َ‫أ‬
ٍ‫وال‬