Land subsidence due to groundwater exploitation in Iran

Problems

• Land subsidence is common in Iran due to excessive groundwater withdrawal from water reservoirs. This has led to compacting aquifers, which causes subsidence. In recent years, cracks and hollows that look like meteor craters have appeared in the ground in many areas of Iran. Some plains have experienced subsidence of 1 mm per day, which is critical.
  
  

• Subsidence results in significant economic losses in the form of structural damage and high maintenance costs. This affects roads, transportation networks, hydraulic infrastructure, sewage systems, buildings, and foundations. The total damage worldwide is estimated at billions of dollars annually.
  
  The situation is dire in Iran. Regions such as the Aliabad plain in Qom have seen an average groundwater level decline of 26.35 meters between 2001 and 2013, with corresponding subsidence ranging from 0 to 76 cm in different areas. 
  
  Iran’s rich cultural heritage is also at risk due to land subsidence. Historical monuments, some dating back to the Achaemenid Empire, face the threat of irreversible damage. The preservation of these sites is of national and international importance, yet they are endangered by the very ground on which they stand.
  
  According to a study by the Transport, Housing, and Urban Development Research Center, some 18 densely populated provinces are vastly subsiding, consequently becoming increasingly vulnerable to flooding and natural incidents and sustaining huge infrastructure damage.
  
  Provinces of Isfahan, Tehran, Kerman, Khorasan Razavi, Alborz, Fars, Yazd, Hamedan, Markazi, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari, East Azarbaijan, Zanjan, Qom, Ardabil, Kordestan, West Azarbaijan, North Khorasan, and Kermanshah continue to experience high rates of subsidence, respectively.

• Conclusion

  Land subsidence has become a critical issue in Iran, and severe action is needed to combat this crisis. The actions should include new legislation to protect the land, new rules and regulations, increased public awareness, etc. Protecting land against unusual incidents is the responsibility of societies, people, governments, scientists, etc. 
  
  Iranians consume more water than the global average in various sectors such as drinking, agriculture, and industry. Iranians lose a third of the purified water due to the wear and tear of the pipes in the city network, and due to the importance of the issue, the government should take some necessary actions to reduce the damages.
  
  In cities like Tehran, Isfahan, Kerman, and Yazd, grass and ornamental flowers should no longer be planted, but tree species that do not need irrigation must be planted. The country should not use thermal power plants, which are extremely water-intensive, to supply energy. The country should expand solar panels or wind energy to produce electricity.