Documentary Study of the Situation of Agricultural Water Resources and Uses in Iran: Analysis of the Current Situation, Pathology and Solutions to the Challenges

Iran with a long-term mean annual precipitation of 254 mm (210 mm in short-term of drought period), mean annual potential evaporation of more than 2000 mm, and dominance of arid and semi-arid climates over 85% of its area is located in one of the driest regions of the world. These factors have led to the dependence of most agricultural productions in Iran on the surface water and groundwater. In this article, based on the statistics and documents collected from the reliable sources, the current situation of agricultural water resources and uses in the country has been studied and analyzed. In addition, the adequacy of agricultural water resources under the current and future conditions, the position of the country in terms of water resources and uses in the world, pathology and solutions to get out of the current situation have been studied and analyzed. Examination of available documents shows that despite the increase in irrigation water efficiency and productivity in the field in recent years, lack of attention to climatic and water resources potentials and unplanned development of agricultural lands to meet the food needs of the country's growing population have led to overexploiting the surface water and groundwater resources, and hence, the destruction of aquifers. Reducing water use in agriculture along with increasing agricultural water productivity and implementing groundwater balance plans have been proposed as the key solutions to the existing challenges.