Water Resource Management Strategies in Iran: Past, Present, and Future

Document Type : Scientific Views

Authors

1 Ph.D. Graduate, Department of Water Engineering, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Mazandaran, Iran

2 Professor, Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Alborz, Iran

3 Professor, National Plant Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran,

10.22092/irn.2026.371203.1697

Abstract

Water resources management in Iran—a country with an arid and semi-arid climate—has always faced numerous challenges and has undergone significant transformations over time. This article, through an analytical and historical approach, examines the evolution of water management strategies in Iran across three periods: past, present, and future. In the past, the use of indigenous knowledge, traditional participatory systems, nomadic livelihoods, qanat construction, surface water storage, and the development of legal mechanisms such as water rights and the Mirab system contributed to forming a sustainable and environmentally compatible model for water resource utilization. In the contemporary period, with the advent of modern technologies and centralized technical approaches, water use patterns shifted. However, despite initiatives such as the nationalization of water resources, dam construction, and drought adaptation programs, the effectiveness of these efforts—in terms of achieving goals like aquifer balance, effective stakeholder participation, and resource resilience—has remained limited due to weak institutional frameworks, fragmented data, and conflicts of interest among actors. Based on these findings, this article proposes a set of forward-looking strategies including data-driven governance, strengthening local participation, price and incentive reform, use of non-conventional water sources, climate change adaptation, productivity enhancement, institutionalizing water justice, cross-sectoral integration (water, energy, food, and environment), and the development of water diplomacy. These strategies can serve as a foundation for transitioning toward resilient and sustainable water governance in Iran.

Keywords

References

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Iran Nature
Volume 10, Issue 5 - Serial Number 54
January and February 2026
Pages 11-24

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