By Abdullahi Lukman
Iran has announced plans to buy water from neighbouring countries as it confronts a severe, nationwide drought.
Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said on Wednesday the government is ready to purchase water from any country willing to sell, while also considering increased imports of water-intensive goods.
The move comes as much of the region, including Iraq, Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan, faces similar water shortages.
Armenia, however, has relatively larger water reserves and may be a potential source.
Iran, among the world’s driest countries, has experienced declining rainfall and intensifying extreme weather in recent years.
Experts say misguided agricultural incentives have worsened the crisis, with subsidies supporting highly water-dependent crops and traditional farming practices giving way to methods that damage soil and deplete reserves.
These pressures have pushed thousands of rural families to leave their communities.
UN water expert, Kaveh Madani, writes that Iran is now in its sixth consecutive year of drought, attributing the emergency to both climate change and long-term mismanagement.
He argues Iran has moved beyond a water crisis into “water insolvency,” where extraction has exceeded natural replenishment for years.
Madani urges a fundamental policy shift, especially drastic reductions in agricultural water use, which accounts for more than 90 percent of national consumption.
