TEHRAN - Iranian Energy Ministry data indicates that currently 19.18 billion cubic meters (bcm) of water is stored behind the dams across Iran, indicating that 38 percent of the capacity of the country’s dams is full.

The total capacity of Iran’s dam reservoirs currently stands at 50.5 bcm, IRNA reported.

Based on the mentioned data, from the beginning of the current water year (late September 2021) up to January 4, 2022, the total volume of water inflow to the reservoirs of the country's dams stood at 10.6 bcm, 31 percent less than the figure for the last year’s same period.

Compared to the figures for the previous water year, the volume of water outflow from the country's dams has also decreased by 36 percent to stand at 95.5 bcm.

The increase in temperature in Iran during summer and the decline of rainfalls across the country caused severe drought in the current year so that the energy ministry was forced to implement new programs for managing water and electricity consumption.

Out of a total of 183 currently operational dams across Iran, 52 are related to the Caspian Sea catchment area, 12 are based in the Urumieh basin, 68 dams are located in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman watersheds, 34 dams are in the Central Plateau, 11 dams are in Sarakhs catchment basin, and another six dams are located across the eastern boundary basin (Hamoun).

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