TEHRAN – Initial estimates indicate that flash floods that started on August 7 in many parts of the country have caused as much as 440 trillion rials (about $1.5 billion) damage so far.

The flooding hit 133 counties and 1,344 villages in 24 provinces of the country, IRNA quoted Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad-Hassan Nami as saying.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, Iran’s average rainfall will decline by 75 percent compared to the long-term average.A large number of villages were completely destroyed, he said, adding that 4,151 rural houses were damaged and residents in 60 villages were relocated.

Moreover, 1,141 houses in urban areas were destroyed and more than 7,000 houses should be repaired, he noted.

The flooding also damaged agricultural lands, gardens, and farms, as well as roads, water and gas pipelines, and electricity grids.

Unfortunately, the incident claimed the lives of 82 persons, he concluded.

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

According to statistics, the average rainfall in the country in the last 50 years has been 270 mm, which has decreased by 230 mm, in other words, over the past 5 decades, the average rainfall has dropped by 40 mm.

According to the World Meteorological Organization's multiannual forecast, in the next five years, Iran’s average rainfall will decline by 75 percent, and the temperature rises by 50-75 percent compared to the long-term average.

MG