Deadly Water Conflict a Warning for the World

Jul 26, 2021 | Donna Miles
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For thousands of years, Iran, which lies in a semi-arid part of the world, had remarkable success in sustainable water management. Ancient Iranians devised innovative methods of regulating, transferring, redirecting and redistributing water, centuries before the Romans built their aqueducts. In modern times, however, Iran has failed to devise a suitable governance structure around water management which prioritises long-term preservation over short-term economic gains. That is according to Kaveh Madani, a scientist in water and climate at Yale University and the former deputy head of Iran's environment agency. Iran's thirst for economic benefit is closely tied to political expediency. Politicians are happy to pressure water authorities to finance specific projects, such as dam building, to gain popularity with farmers in their regions, without considering the projects’ long-term environmental impact on human and natural resources.