TEHRAN – Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Sattar Mahmoudi has said that 450 cities in the country will face water stress and six metropolises experience serious water scarcity during this spring and summer.

Water stress occurs when the demand for water exceeds the available amount during a certain period or when poor quality restricts its use.

Mahmoudi explained that with water management policies adopted the number of cities facing water stress has reduced from 547 in the last calendar year, ended on March 19, to 450, Mehr news agency reported on Friday.

He added that four to five percent increase in water and six to seven percent in power consumption are expected for the current year.

Bandar-Abbas, Bushehr, Shiraz, Kerman, Mashhad, and Hamadan, according to Mahmoudi, are the six cities which need special water management this year to survive water scarcity.

With four billion cubic meters more compared to the last year, there are now 24 billion cubic meters of water stored behind dams across Iran, he added.

PT