While global statistics indicate that an annual subsidence of more than four millimeters signifies entering a critical condition, reports show that the average annual land subsidence in Iran has reached “18 centimeters, with subsidence in 14 provinces exceeding 10 centimeters.”
At the same time, a government official in Iran stated that the excavation of numerous wells and excessive water extraction in the vicinity of the Marvdasht plain have caused “land subsidence in the Persepolis area.”
According to a land subsidence index table published by the state-run Tejarat News website, the annual land subsidence exceeds 20 centimeters in the provinces of Kerman, Alborz, Markazi, Qom, Khorasan, and Hamedan.
Additionally, in Fars and Isfahan provinces, the annual land subsidence reaches 16.5 and 15 centimeters, respectively.
Tejarat News has reported that the average annual land subsidence in Iran “has reached 18 centimeters, with subsidence in 14 provinces exceeding 10 centimeters.”
On the other hand, the deputy director of the Fars Provincial Department of Environmental Protection warned about land subsidence in the Persepolis and Naqsh-e Rostam areas, stating that the main reason for the subsidence in these areas is the “excavation of numerous wells and excessive water extraction in the vicinity of the Marvdasht plain.”
Qasem Nahavandi added that the underground water tables cover a wide area, and with their depletion, “Naqsh-e Rostam is also at risk.”
The construction of numerous dams without considering environmental consequences and the excessive extraction of groundwater have been identified as the main causes of land subsidence in Iran.
Nevertheless, despite the depletion of groundwater resources and the endangerment of life in Iran’s climate, the Iranian regime continues to insist on goals such as self-sufficiency in agricultural production and population growth.
