TEHRAN - Heavy rainfalls since the start of summer have helped reduce water stress in the country, increasing the national average precipitation by three percent.

Rainfalls had decreased by 42 percent compared to the previous water year (starting September 23), but the recent rainfalls made for three percent of water shortage in the country, IRNA quoted Sadeq Ziaeian, the director of National Drought Warning and Monitoring Center, as saying.

This year, the country has experienced one of the hardest situations in terms of precipitation for the past 50 years, he noted.

Iran is ranked among the world’s arid countries with its annual precipitation levels at about one-third of the global average. 

More than 200 Iranian cities and a very larger number of villages, mostly in the central and southern parts, are water-stressed. 

Based on the latest data published by National Drought Warning and Monitoring Center affiliated to Iran’s Meteorological Organization, since the current crop year (September 23, 2020), South Khorasan has received 59.7 millimeters of rainfall while the long-term averages are 110.5 millimeters. Last year during the same period, 156.4 millimeters of precipitation were reported. So that the province is short of rain compared to both last year and long-run.

Precipitation in Sistan-Baluchestan province decreased to 15.3 millimeters from 165.9 millimeters in the previous water year, demonstrating a 90.8 percent decline. The amount also dropped in comparison to the long-term average of 84.6 mm, being short of rain by 81.9 percent.

Hormozgan province also has not met the normal averages, receiving 20.3 millimeters of rain while it reported raining 303.3 millimeters in the previous water year, showing a 93.3 percent drop, while it also experienced rainfall shortage in comparison to the long-term mean by 93.3 percent.

Kerman also received low precipitation compared to both the long-term average and last year.

MG