Investigating water policies (hydropolitics) in the border regions of Iran from a sociological perspective

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Environmental Design, Iran University of Science and Technology

2 Department of Architecture (Landscape), School of Architecture and Environmental Design, Iran University of Science and Technology

Abstract

Abstract :
Water is an element whose presence is essential for food production, economic development, and the survival of living organisms. The location of the Middle East region in the dry belt of the world has caused this region, despite having 5% of the world's population, to have only 1% of accessible fresh water, which leads to competitions and conflicts to use these limited resources as much as possible. has it. Massive water problems threaten many arid and semi-arid regions of the earth, and Iran is no exception. The integration of such problems with health, environmental, political, socio-economic and sustainability issues has greatly increased the demand for problem management. This research examines the ability of Iranians to manage society, develop and maintain their water resources in different periods. This study shows that in the modern era, the development of industry, the culture of consumerism and unprecedented urbanization along with drought and global warming have brought many problems to water sectors. Therefore, the tendency towards supply-oriented policies has prevailed and strategies such as drilling wells with deep pumps, building dams, and transferring water between the basins have been adopted to solve the problems. Excessive extraction of groundwater, soil-water degradation, shrinking and drying up of water bodies, intensifying the risks of floods, dust storms, agricultural and environmental damages, and the emptying of rural areas are among the direct and indirect evidences that this claim confirms

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