TEHRAN – Torrential rain has triggered flooding in southern provinces of the country, claiming eight lives so far.

Provinces of Fars, Kerman, Hormozgan, and Sistan-Baluchestan have been affected by flooding for the past few days, IRNA quoted Mojtaba Khaledi, spokesman for the Emergency Organization, as saying on Tuesday.

The number of people injured in the recent floods reached 14, while 8 have died and 2 are missing, he regretted.

20% of areas across Iran are highly prone to flooding. Meanwhile, Pir-Hossein Kolivand, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), said that over the past 6 days, 29 provinces of the country were affected by snow, blizzards, and floods.

Some 87 cities in 17 provinces of West Azarbaijan, Ardebil, Isfahan, Bushehr, Qazvin, Fars, Kerman, Kohgiluyeh-Boyeraahmad, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari, Zanjan, Sistan-Baluchestan, Khuzestan, South Khorasan, Lorestan, Mazandaran, Hormozgan, and Yazd need relief services, where a total of 20,526 people have been rescued, he explained.

Additionally, water was pumped out of 233 flooded houses, and 175 cars were released from snow and floods, he added.

Relief operations for those affected by floods, snow, and blizzards have been carried out in the country with the efforts of 479 teams, including 1,926 IRCS forces.

20% of areas at high risk of flood

Twenty percent of areas across Iran are highly prone to flooding, Khosro Shahbazi, former head of the Forests, Range, and Watershed Management Organization (FRWMO) said in January 2020.

“Precipitation in Iran is one-third of the world’s average, as the country is located in a dry and fragile region where we experience 11 millimeters decrease in precipitation every 10 years and an increase in evaporation of more than 50 millimeters every year,” he explained.

Rainfall fluctuations usually lead to flood and devastation, so comprehensive planning for watershed management and flood control is required, he noted.

Since most of the water supply is extracted from groundwater resources, the country is in a critical condition in terms of groundwater resources, he stated, highlighting, because perception is less than water withdrawal from the aquifers, so the best way to store rainwater is watershed and aquifer projects.

FB/MG