1. The water crisis
and socio-ecological
development profile of
RafsanjanTownship, Iran
S. Mehryar, R. Sliuzas,A. Sharifi, M.F.A.M. van Maarseveen
Ravage of the Planet IV Conference
1 st – 3 rd July, Opatija, Croatia

2. Content
• Introduction
• Water demand and drivers
• Water supply and the growing water imbalance
• The current environmental condition
• Government and institutional responses
• Discussion and conclusion
July 1-3, 20152

3. Water crisis in Middle
East
The Middle East has lost fresh water
equivalent to almost the size of the Dead
Sea between 2003 and 2010
3 July 1-3, 2015

4. Iran: Average precipitation of 252mm/yr
Rafsanjan: Average of 100 mm/yr
- Iran: 44% of world pistachio
production
- Rafsanjan:16.6% of the world pistachio
production
4 July 1-3, 2015

5. Population Growth and Urban Expansion
5
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
1966 1976 1986 1996 2006 2011
Population(Thousand)
Year
Rafsanjan city population Rafsanjan township population Urban areas population Rural areas population
July 1-3, 2015
- Islamic Republic revolution: 1978
- Iran-Iraq war: 1980-1988
- population doubled in almost 20 years

6. 6
Agro-Economic Development
1. Satisfy food and water demand 2. Independent economy 3. Agriculture as economic development
July 1-3, 2015
70,000 ha 110,000 ha

7. 7
Agro-Economic Development
- Agri water use: 663 mm3
- Entire water use: 685 mm3
- Annual infow: 470mm3
July 1-3, 2015

8. Water supply and the growing water imbalance
8
215
190
334
291
327
0
618
651
686
751 747
638
602
623
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Discharge
Year
Total wells discharge
- Subsidization of water and energy
- supporting more usage of wells
July 1-3, 2015
20%
overexploitation
37%
overexploitation

9. Water supply and the growing water imbalance
9
-20
-18
-16
-14
-12
-10
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
84 87 90 93 96 99 2 5 8 11
^h(m)
Ground water depletion
July 1-3, 2015

10. 10
Current Environmental Condition
July 1-3, 2015

11. 11
Current Environmental Condition
July 1-3, 2015

12. 12
Current Environmental Condition
July 1-3, 2015

13. - Minimize water loss
- Exploit water as much as natural renewable GW
- Collective ownership
- Equitable water distribution
- Land Reform (1963)
- Small and fragmented land holding
- Access to more water through pumped wells
- Shift of GW system from public good to a private
good
Institutional andTechnology Change

14. - Rapid economic development
- Regarding the self-sufficiency and self-reliance
- ignoring the Environmental aspects
- Short-sighted solution to treat the symptoms
- Non-reversal GW to normal situation
- Non-effective engineering solutions
- Long-term socio-ecological interlinked perspective
- Resilient spatial planning
- An adaptive and resilient socio-ecological system
Conclusion and Recommendation

15. Thank you
Questions?