PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENERGY AND DEVELOPMENT - ENVIRONMENT - BIOMEDICINE

Water Resources Management in Karkheh Basin-

AMIR HAMZEH HAGHIABI1 , NIKOS E. MASTORAKIS2 1-Department of water engineering Lorestan University Khorramabad, Lorestan Province IRAN [email protected] 2- Technical University of Sofia, BULGARIA– also with the WSEAS Research Department, WSEAS, A.I.Theologou 17-23, Zografou, 15773, Athens, GREECE

Abstract: - Karkheh basin is located in the semiarid and arid regions of Western Iran, an area with severe water scarcity. 70% of rainfall is directly evaporated. The potential annual evaporation of the southern and northern regions is 3,600 mm 1,800 mm, respectively. Agriculture plays an important role in the economy of the basin. In the present situation, 3.9 bm3 of water are used for irrigating 378,164 ha of irrigated agriculture (horticulture and field crops), and surface water and groundwater resources provide 63 percent and 37 percent, respectively, of this volume. Of the irrigated area, 76.5% is under cereals (wheat and barely), 23% under pulses, and 0.5% under cultivation of forage, orchards, melons and vegetables, and oil seeds. The area is particularly low in terms of yields, productivity and incomes. Irrigation efficiency in the basin is 28-36 percent and the overall Crop Water Productivity in the basin is about 0.55 kg/m3. In this paper, the specifications of the Karkheh Reservoir & Hydroelectric Power Plant as the biggest dam in history of Iran with total volume of reservoir 7.3 Bm3 and Karkheh irrigation and drainage network project are illustrated. Also the situation of water availability in the basin, surface and groundwater potential and some aspects of water resources management in the basin are considered.

Key-Words: - Karkheh-Water Resources-Zagros - Iran-Basin- Management

1 Introduction operations in Iran, which is used to protect water Water resource management is of global and soil, dates back to some 50 years ago. significance as it plays a key role in the The country's population growth is continuous. socioeconomic development of all nations. People are increasingly in need of more and more Attention to water supplies for the agricultural and water either for drinking purpose, or for farming, industrial sectors through construction of numerous industry or other means of their food security, or for and development of the water and sewage social welfare and health matters. Therefore, while sectors point towards this sector's growing the amount of the produced water is almost usually importance. The water sector is closely connected the same, the consumption is gradually increased not only to production and technology, but to the and the production-consumption ratio has always preservation of the general health and hygiene of had a declining trend. society and environment as well. A useful index is proposed in the world to estimate On account of the fact that Iran is situated in a the conditions of a country's water resources. In this highly pressurized belt in the world, precipitation is index the volume of renewable waters of a country limited, so that the average annual precipitation in is divided by its total population at any stage and by the country is about 250 mm, only about one third to this method they announce the approximate water one quarter of the world average for rainfall. reserves of that country. According to world statistics, Iran with more than Consequently, regardless of rainfall declines in ten million hectares of cultivated land under various years and in view of our global, irrigation ranks seventh in the world. At the same geographical and climatic conditions which have put time, more than 8 million hectares of agricultural us in a dry area, we have a country suffering from lands in Iran is subjected to dry farming. Watershed water inadequacy and meanwhile are moving toward a chronic water shortage. This totally differs

ISBN: 978-960-474-148-9 114 ISSN: 1790-5095 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENERGY AND DEVELOPMENT - ENVIRONMENT - BIOMEDICINE

from the question of drought. This is what in my 5.08 million ha (Mha), out of which only 1.07 Mha opinion could only be called a serious crisis we are is irrigable and 0.9 Mha is suitable for rain fed to face, while it's getting worse day by day. agriculture. Out of total cultivated area, about 72.5 In most parts of Iran, this limited precipitation is % are under cereals (wheat and Barley), 17.5 % confined mainly to cold and winter seasons, and under pulses, and rest 10 % is used for the cannot be directly used by plants especially for cultivation of forage, orchards, vegetables and oil farming and agriculture. On the other hand, most of seeds. KRB is located in 25-32 to 00-35 northern the rainfall is of the hard and short variety and when latitudes and 00-46 to 00-49 eastern longitudes there is not enough vegetation along the route of the including some parts of Hamedan, Kermanshahan, rainfall, it provokes and leads not only to high flood Lorestan, Ilam, Hamedan, Markazi, Kordestan and water but washes away and carries a large quantity Khuzestan provinces. of water too, some of which precipitate behind the dams, which have been or are being built with colossal amounts of money, leading to the gradual dwindling of their reservoirs. Some examples are the Latian, Sefidrud and Dez dams, which will be filled in a not too distant future. Of the country's 612 plains, about 150 plains are classified as restricted zones under critical conditions, in which, the amount of extracted water is beyond that which they receive. Each year the level of water in these plains declines and in some places even fall by 1.5 meters a year. Currently, under normal circumstances and not during the draught years, we have calculatingly been using 5 billion cu.m of underground waters over the permitted limit. Such further extraction, whether Figure 1- Location map of the Basin illegally or by old permits, occurs in our restricted areas. On the other hand, we have the capacity of Karkheh River has the highest amount of water in increasing underground resources by 5 billion cu.m Iran, after Karoun and Dez Rivers. The water basin in no restricted regions. This means that we have 5 of this river is 42620 square kilometer up to the billion cu.m of over limit water use in restricted bridge and is about 50000 sq. km. up to Hourolazim zones and meanwhile have to the same amount an (swamp), which is its final destination. exploitative water capacity in no restricted areas. The main sub-basins of Karkheh are Gamasiab, Therefore what should be done in our water Gharesou, Saymareh, Kashkan and South Karkheh management system at best is to adjust the negative (as shown in Fig. 2) which themselves include some balance of the restricted zones by a practicable other branches. replacement of the exploitative alternatives of the no restricted regions. Considering the expansion of the basin, the basin divides into 5 sub-basins, which depend on the 2 Karkheh basin rivers located there, themselves divide into under The Karkhe River Basin is located in the middle and sub-basins. southwestern of Zagros Mountain in the west of country. This area is extended about of 50764- 2.2 Hydrographical Network and it is a part of Persian Gulf watershed area. This The general slope of the land and the direction of area is bounded; on north by Sirvan, Ghazel-Ouzan water flow in KRB is from north to south. KR is and Ghare Chay rivers area , on the west by frontier formed from the joint of two main branches called rivers area of Iran and Iraq , on the east by Gamasiab and Saymareh, which initiated by several , on the south by part of western frontier of country . sub-branches from northeastern and north western of the basin, respectively. They join to each other at 2.1 Location and Area the end of Kermansha plain (10 km from southeastern of Bakhtaran). From here it is called Karkheh River Basin (KRB) is located in the Saymareh and it joins with a river called kashkan western Iran and represents semi-arid and arid areas of the region (Figure 1). The total area of KRB is (another main branch of the western parts of the basin) at a junction and after this junction it is called

ISBN: 978-960-474-148-9 115 ISSN: 1790-5095 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENERGY AND DEVELOPMENT - ENVIRONMENT - BIOMEDICINE

Karkheh. Hydrographical network of the basin is springs with their sub-branches measurement and shown in Figure 2. from Sarabe Gamasiab springs with measurement After Kashkan and Saymareh attachment, KR goes from Sangesourakh station. toward southeast and then after receiving the two It should be mentioned that water resources of sub-branches called Molab and Abzolal, changes its Ravansar springs come from the combined way to south. In Khuzestan plain, the slopes resources of left and right Taghe-Bostan springs. reduction make a change in river bed as Miandar The discharges of these springs are changes from and depend on the rate of speed reduction, cross some 10 liters to few cubic meters in different section and width of the river increase. From where months and years. Water resources of Gamasiab Saymareh and Kashkan join it to springs are determined using data from deviational dam, the river length is 250 km, then it Sangesourakh station, which is installed in changes its direction to west and northwest. After its Gamasiab River. Considering that the area of the division to some sub-branches, finally it ends to river basin is 30 squared kilometers, the main part of Hourolazim marsh in Iran-Iraq frontier line. water resources in this area are from Sarab springs. KR at the end of its basin changes its direction to northeastern and ends to Hourolazim swamp 2.3 (between Iran and Iraq). KR bed is almost unmarked and the water flow is expanded in a vast area as a Karkheh Dam is located in 21(km.) north-west of marsh in which water salinity is exceeded because , and 12 (km) upstream of Naderi of high evaporation. In general, KR is formed by the Bridge. The bjectives of the Project are as joint of main rivers: Gamasiab, Garesou, Saymareh following: and Kashkan, each one has a basin. Also the down parts of KR has a basin named South Karkheh. • Storage and regulation of water for irrigation of These five areas are the main sub-basins of KRB. 320,000(Hec.) of the lands of downstream plains, which are placed on pay-e-pol (Avan, Arayez, Dosaleq, and Baqeh), and Hamidi-yeh, Ghods, Dasht-e Azadegan, Dasht-e Abbas, Fakkeh, and Eynkhosh Plains, which are located in the north- west and the west of . • Hydroelectric power generation amounting to 934(G.wh) per year. • Prevention of destructive floods of the River, and resulting damages.

Figure2- Hydrographical network of the KRB

In water regime study of KRB, we can see that there are many springs; some of them are full of water. This is resulted from calcareous components of the basin. Some of such springs are Ravansar, Taghebostan, Sardabe Gamasiab and Sardabe Niloufar. Unfortunately, these springs are mostly without statistical data and the long statistical data of this basin is only from Ravansar and Taghebostan

ISBN: 978-960-474-148-9 116 ISSN: 1790-5095 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENERGY AND DEVELOPMENT - ENVIRONMENT - BIOMEDICINE

Figure 3-Karkheh Dam Lake suspended materials, at the Pay- e- Pol station are available. According to the released data of the daily Total Information of the Project are as following: sedimentation of suspended materials, at this station, calculations were carried out for a period of 43 2.3.1Floods years. While grading of the suspended materials was According to the statistical records, the floods occur prepared, in 1979.In order to get to the normal water during the wet months of November to May. Large level of 220 m.a.s.l., the total sediment, which will floods happen during March to April, among which be deposited, during a period of 50 years, is April has the maximum floods. The probable estimated to be 1730.5(M.ton). maximum flood at Karkheh Dam Site is 23670(m3/s), which is estimated to be 8.1(B.m3), 2.3.4 Water Resources Planning during a period of 12 days. The probable maximum precipitation for a 7- day- Total amount of agricultural lands, which could, period is 280(m.m), excluding thawing. potentially, be under irrigation system, through Karkheh Dam, is estimated to be: 2.3.2 The Quality of Water A- 110,000(Hec.) of Upper Karkheh Projects Since, the main purpose of constructing Karkheh [including:I) 55000(Hec.) of the plains, located at Dam, is to supply water for irrigation, and having Pay- e- pol plains, namely : Avan, Dosaleq, Arayez, considered that the annual evaporation at Karkheh and Baqeh, II) 17,000(Hec.) of Dasht-e Abbas River watershed is 3500(m.m) - which is relatively Plain, III) 38,000(Hec.) of Fakkeh, Eyn- Khosh, high - and the annual precipitation amounts to and Musian plains]. 588(m.m) per year, therefore special attention has been paid to the issue of salinity, in the studies of B- 195,000(Hec.) of Lower Karkheh Projects water quality.The Standard of FAO has been [including: I) 60,000(Hec.) of Dasht-e Azadegan employed for the estimation of quality of water and Project, II) 40,000(Hec.) of South Karkheh Noor the Schuler Diagram has been applied for the Project, III) 30,000(Hec.) of South Karkheh and drinking water. Tested samples with 29% TDS, and North Hoofel Development Project, IV) 38% Chlorine at Pay- e- Pol station, and also 55% 65,000(Hec.) of Shahid Chamran Project]. TDS, and 57% Chlorine at Hamidi-yeh station, expresses a range of minimum to maximum risk for C- 35,000(Hec.) of other projects. irrigation purposes, in the dry period of July- December. Samples which have been tested in the The irrigation of the Pay- e- pol plains (including: above mentioned stations indicate that the amount of Avan, Arayez, Dusaleq, and Bagheh) will be TDS and T.H. (total hardness) existed in the water, performed through the Pay- e- pol Regulatory Dam, is not harmful for drinking. The harmful cases are located on 10(km.) downstream of Karkheh. mainly related to bacteria and other types of And the irrigation of Dasht- e Abbas, Fakkeh, microbes. All the tested samples of the dry and wet and Eynkhosh will, directly, be done out of Karkheh periods with considering the above mentioned issues Dam Reservoir, through Dasht-e Abbas pressure are acceptable for drinking. tunnel. The irrigation of Hamidi-yeh Ghods, Azadegan, and Karkheh Nour, will also be carried 2.3.3 Sedimentation of the Reservoir out by the means of Hamidi-yeh Regulatory Dam. The 900 km Karkheh River emerging as the Karkheh River contains a great volume of 3rd waterlogged and longest nationwide river flows sedimentation. Hec 6 Program has been used for the across five provinces in west and southwest Iran. calculations leading to the Karkheh Dam Reservoir Thanks to the preliminary studies run in 1956, sedimentation profile. In order to prepare this Mahab Qods Consulting and Engineering Company model, samples of real distribution of accumulated were established for the Karkheh dam in northwest sediment in the Reservoir of the , were Andimeshk in 1989. The project aims at curbing taken, calibrated, and then- based on which- a local floods, saving a reservoir for irrigation above simulation was created, to estimate the sediment and over generating electricity. With a water reserve distribution, in the Karkheh Dam Reservoir. The of 7.3 billion cubic meters it is the most substantial records of the past 43 years of daily water yield of dam in the country boosting the overall water Karkheh River, and 17 years of sedimentation of reserves by 30 percent. Subduing the surface water

ISBN: 978-960-474-148-9 117 ISSN: 1790-5095 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENERGY AND DEVELOPMENT - ENVIRONMENT - BIOMEDICINE

flow, the construction can draw devastating floods the scheme has edged up development indicators, to a halt. The Karkheh dam renders 934 GW of which further pledges a stable growth. electricity per annum and supplies 320,000 ha of farms in Ilam and Khuzestan provinces with water. The embankment whose crest is as long as 3,030 meter ranks sixth amid its international soil peers, and hits the zenith in Iran. The 127-meter high owns a 32 million cubic meter soil body. The project swallowed up 1.6 million cubic meters of concrete. Its spill, the longest around the globe, is the biggest segment stuffed with 760,000 cubic meters concrete. The construction process was given the trigger-off in March 1992. Even right up to early 2001, the gigantic workshop had been erupting with an incessant tumult of hubbub from some 1,000 pieces of machinery as well as 5,000 hard-working blue- collar workers. Karkheh River was rerouted in October 1995 when the proper structure was accomplished. Afterwards, Sepasad Engineering Company sped up erecting the major slice. Coincidentally, Karkheh power plant was being Figure4 –Karkheh Dam built up; technology conveyance with the utmost employment of domestic capability and potential. 2.4 Karkheh irrigation and drainage To be optimistic, by mid (2001) the plant will have network project gone on stream. The six km `Dasht Abbas', moreover, which channels water from Karkheh dam This project is including of 15 projects in below to the farms in Khuzestan and Ilam provinces was over an area of 276150 ha. excavated in mid (2000). Since then the inner side is promptly being applied cement. 1)Pay-e-Pol diversion and regulation dam . To approach the set targets, in February 2000 the 2) Main canal of Pay-e-Pol. monster still-under-construction dam was flown 3) Main drains of Pay-e-Pol plain . water stream toward. the Karkheh dam, offspring of 4) Water transfer canal of Shahis Chamran. Iranian engineering and implementation, boasts the 5) Water transfer canal of Dasht-e-Azadegan. first touch of Iran in macro-project management of 6) Irrigation and drainage network of Evan plain. the construction industry. The project carried out by 7) Irrigation and drainage network of Dasht-e- 120 contractors and eight consultants has a drastic Azadegan. impact on the industry expertise nationwide and 8) Irrigation and drainage network of Dasht-e- worldwide. Since the late April 1999, the enormous Kosar. dam has managed to rein in floods by constraining 9) Kosar pumping station and main canal of water the water output. Furthermore, from February 2000 transfer. on, downstream irrigation water can be controlled. 10) Arayez and Dosalegh plainsIrrigation and Despite the unfinished business, two objectives of drainage network. the trio have been achieved. The dam has had a 11) Dasht-e-Chamran (Chamran plain) Irrigation water intake of 3.2 billion cubic meters during 1999- and drainage. 2000, also subdued a couple of hurricanes (900 12) Bagheh plain Irrigation and drainage network. cubic meter per second) and salvaging the 13) Karkhe siphon. agriculture from the drought 2000. 14) Shahid Chamran River – basin and water The plan was financed by a budget of 3.2 trillion transfer canal. rials on top of 120 million dollars stemming from 15) Main drain construction in south of Karkhe. public funds (50 percent), bank loans (35 percent), domestic funds (7.5 percent) and securities (7.5 3 Water Availability percent). Due to its bulky dimensions and fulfillment by internal skilled manpower, the project The water resources of KRB comprise of both was a ticket to the technology enhancement in dam surface water and groundwater. Annually about 3.95 and power plant erection industry. Last but not least, billion cubic meters (BCM) of water is used for

ISBN: 978-960-474-148-9 118 ISSN: 1790-5095 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENERGY AND DEVELOPMENT - ENVIRONMENT - BIOMEDICINE

irrigating 378,164 ha of agricultural lands plain has a succession according to their grain size (horticulture and field crops). A major part of and gravity. In this way, in margins there are bigger agricultural water consumption (about 63%) comes grain size, high infiltration and proper water quality. from surface water resources. The quality of river But at the end of the plains and the basin, there are (surface) water is generally good, though it varies little grain size, low infiltration and improper water both seasonally and along the path downstream, quality. reaching up to 3 ds/m near the final outlet. As The total area of the basin is 50764 km², including presented in Tables 7 and 8, average annual rainfall 22571 km² (44%) plains. The vastest plain of the in the basin is 24.9 BCMof water. Out of which, 5.1 basin is Azadegan-Howayzeh (4073km²) and the BCM is flood and surface water, 3.4 bcm infiltrates smallest is Sharvan (41km²). Some main plains of to ground water and the rest of 16.4 BCM this basin are Malayer, Sahneh-Bistoun, Mahidasht- evaporates directly to atmosphere. Sanjabi and Kermanshah plains. Total slope and general direction of surface waters of the basin is along north-west and geographical network shows Table 1- Elements of water resources in KRB several main branches such as Kashkan, Saymareh, Total rain Surface Evaporation Gamasiab and Gharasou rivers. Infiltration fall water Groundwater Withdrawal and Application 24.9 bcm 5.1 bcm 3.4 bcm 16.4 bcm Considering the existence of fairly filled with Water 100 % 20.5 % 13.4 % 65.8 % Rivers, the considerable parts of needs, especially in cultivation part, are provided by surface water Table 2- General information about water resources resources. In addition to surface water resources, underground water reservoirs have been used since Rainfall 24.9 BCM many years ago and with the population increase, Potential renewable water 8.5 BCM the volume of application from those resources is resource being increased. Present consumption 3.956 BCM The total underground water resource of the basin is Consumption from ground water 36.76 % 16057 resources with the annual evacuation of 3778 Consumption from surface water 63.24 % million m³ water. The total applicator wells are about 11901 with the annual evacuation of Average of consumption 10,940 m3/ha 1580.7million m³ with the average discharge of 7.3- Irrigation efficiency 28 - 36 % 44 liter per second. The average of application of ground water in the basin (3613hours) is related to 3.1 Surface Water Resources Potential Dosalegh plain. The maximum annual evacuation is According to climatic and hydrometrical data, the related to Malayer and is 1293 wells with the average capability of surface water resources in this evacuation of 259million m³ water. basin is 7384000 cubic meters. Quantitative limitation results from intensive reduction of underground water and reduction of saved underground reservoirs can only be seen in some plains such as Malayer, Toyserkan, Asadabad 3.2 Groundwater Resources in Sarabekarkheh region and in central parts of KRB is a part of wrinkled zone of Zagros. Sefidrud Abasabad plain. Such limitations improve in River Basin bound it on the north, on northeast and Karkheh shallow regions such as Ghods, Azadegan, east by Salt Lake, on west by frontier Rivers, on Bagheh, Hamidiyeh, … plains, because of little south by Karoun River Basin and its ending point is sediment grain size and deformation of proper water the big marsh of Hour-Al-Azim. reservoirs. Qualitative limitations generally resulted The effects of mountainous and geological structure from high level of underground waters, high phases of this basin develop some parallel slopes evaporation of water and salinity remaining and thus approximately along northwest – southeast. Some soil and water salinity increase in some parts of the long valleys develop at the beginning of the basin plains, especially in Karkheh shallow plains. and between the slopes, which have low width and The results of underground water balance show a fast gradient, along the way while the width balance between all the feed factors and all the increases, the gradients are reduced. The variety of evacuation factors in most of the reservoirs, except a stones formed the heights and also the effects of few plains. Also a lot of underground water waste several factors of erosion, cause sediments transfer by evaporation and drainage, so if there were no and settlement. The sediment development along the water qualitative limitations for these plains, water

ISBN: 978-960-474-148-9 119 ISSN: 1790-5095 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENERGY AND DEVELOPMENT - ENVIRONMENT - BIOMEDICINE

application development from alluvium reservoirs pace of deterioration, the situation will become even would be considered. worse in the years to come. On the other hand, there In general, the application development possibilities is a great potential for the improvement of land and provided for 36 alluvium reservoir regions of all 47 water productivities in the KRB. Therefore KRB is regions of the basin are about 225.5millionm³. High well suited to be a major area for development development of carbonated structures and carstic, in oriented research activities to be implemented under general, in sub-branches and central regions of KRB Challenge Program. KRB provides a unique result relatively valuable underground reservoirs in opportunity for the Challenge Program to make an rigid structures in most of the regions, high water impact through improvements in land and water springs prove these. So the application development management, which in turn will improve the is possible, if there is the proper place for well livelihoods of millions of rural poor living in this digging. Based on the data, a 383 million m³- basin. The problems of KRB have a great similarity application development is considered for 30 with other basins located in the similar hydrological regions of rigid structures of heights by water spring conditions therefore lessons learned here will be control. Considering that water quality is generally equally applicable to these basins. The following desirable in carbonated structures, it is better to use general goals must be considered: these resources just as drinkable water. The amount 1. Food security for all at household level. of application development is determined supposing the application in the regions and if the purpose is to 2. Poverty alleviation, through increased transfer them to other basins, it will reduce sustainable livelihoods in rural and peri- amounting to infiltration. urban areas. 3. Improved health, through better nutrition, 3.3 Deal with Kuwait on water lower agriculture-related pollution and reduced water-related diseases. pipeline 4. Environmental security through improved water quality as well as the maintenance of Iran signed a contract with Kuwait on 13 Dec 2003 water related ecosystem services, including to provide the country with drinking water for biodiversity. nearly 30 years. The water will be pumped to The basin goal can be stated as: Kuwait through a 540-km pipeline that will be built To enhance food security, livelihoods, health and at an estimated cost of US$ 2 billion (EUR 1.6 environment in the Karkheh River Basin, while billion). About 210km of the pipeline will be laid on reducing diversions of water to agriculture, linking the sea bed of the Gulf, which separates the two with the Research Agenda of the Challenge Program countries. Under the agreement, Iran will supply on Water and Food. Kuwait with 300 million m3 of water a year from The basin objectives are: Karkheh Dam. 1. To enhance water productivity of the Irrigated and Rain fed crops in the KRB 4 Conclusions 2. To improve upstream & downstream water management and land resources The major challenges faced by KRB are low yields 3. To develop sustainable management and productivity, poor management of land and practices for agricultural activities and water resources and low small-scale irrigation improve livelihoods performance. Competition between different uses of 4. To improve agro-technical management water and upstream-downstream concerns are major aspects (Crop management & cropping issues in the middle of the basin. In the lower parts, systems) low water use efficiencies and increasing salinity problems are threatening the sustainability of In conclusion, should the draught continue for irrigated agriculture. The protection of natural several years and we overstep extraction of environment needs lot more attention in this basin. underground waters specified for the draught years' Karkheh River Basin is a water short area and temporary uses, we will not only lose part of our droughts are becoming a permanent feature of this resources from the aspect of quantity but will have region. Due to water shortage and degradation of to tolerate the quality loss of our polluted resources, land and water resources, livelihoods of rural the purifying of which may never be possible either. communities are at stake. Considering the present

ISBN: 978-960-474-148-9 120 ISSN: 1790-5095 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENERGY AND DEVELOPMENT - ENVIRONMENT - BIOMEDICINE

We must encourage the cultivation of the items which need less water while on the other hand we [2] "Karkheh, the Biggest Dam in History of Iran", must try to benefit from water's relative privilege in Aftab-e-yazd, Daily Newspaper, No. 346, Apr. 18th, our agricultural economy. 2001, Page 7 , Energy Ministry,Iran. Due to the rising population, more water is needed for the agricultural and industrial sectors. So the [3] Penhani Davood" Water Crisis in Iran" ;An government must pay particular attention to dam Interview with Mr Zargar Entekhab, Daily construction and make substantial investments in Newspaper, No. 333, Jun. 6th, 2000 this sector. The construction of irrigation and drainage networks [4] " Iran's Agriculture and Water Sectors", Iran e and water supply canals will lead to a more efficient emrooz, Monthly Magazine, No. 16, Sep. 1997, irrigation of farmlands. Page 5-7 Water treatment facilities provide safe potable water [5] " The Watershed Situation in Iran", Iran, Daily for cities and also water for industrial use. Newspaper, Vol. 6, No. 1662, Nov. 5th, 2000, Page 11 Reference:s [6] "Karkheh Dam & HPP: General information", [1] Ashrafi Shahram, Asad Qureshi and Francis available at www.karkheh.com, accessed 5 Gichuki,. "KARKHEH BASIN PROFILE: Strategic September 2005. research for enhancing agricultural water productivity"; Challenge Program on Water and Food, March, 2004.

ISBN: 978-960-474-148-9 121 ISSN: 1790-5095