INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Nazr-e Ab (literally meaning water donation), was launched four years ago, following the drought crisis in the southern and southeastern
provinces of the country, with the aim of supplying fresh water to deprived areas with the help of the people and the IRCS.It was first held
in August 2018, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan which went into trouble after the Hamoun wetland drained and the rainless
sky left many in dire need of drinking water.The campaign has two main aspects; the first one centers on water supply issues including
desalination of water, rehabilitation of qanats, improving wells and water quality, and filtering and sanitation of reservoirs.And the
second aspect focuses on health issues including health care services, free diagnosis, and providing food packages to the deprived.The
phenomenon of drought is hitting the country, especially in the southern and southeastern provinces, and naturally, its complications,
including the lack of access to clean and sufficient drinking water, the faster proliferation of environmental bacteria, etc., can seriously
affect the health of residents, and even cause the outbreak of contagious and infectious diseases, Salimi explained.Through the fifth phase
Hormozgan, Sistan-Baluchestan, Kerman, and South Khorasan to provide preventive training as well as healthcare services to deal with
food-borne or infectious diseases caused by the water crisis.Since ancient times, Iran has been constantly struggling with water shortage,
which caused the creation of qanats, so that people actually accepted that water is scarce in the country.But for several years, along with
the industrial and agricultural development, it seems that the available water resources have been used unbridled, and the result is being
July 2021 was, in most places, substantially lower compared with the year-earlier period
Iran experiences frequent droughts and faces the prospect of more extreme conditions brought about by climate change.The campaign centers on
supplying water and providing health care services to people in drought-stricken areas.According to current assessments, parts of Iran are
facing a rainfall anomaly which has had an observed impact on vegetation and agriculture
Of particular concern is that these drought impacts have been observed in northeastern Iran in areas bordering Afghanistan.The Iranian Red
Crescent Society estimates that 4.8 million people are at medium to high risk of drought-related impacts, mostly in remote and rural areas
The lack of safe and sufficient water supply for drinking, hygiene, agriculture, animal husbandry, and electrical power is having a
coping mechanisms.Drought has so far incurred a loss of 28 trillion rials (about $107 million) to the environment, Hassan Akbari, deputy
head of natural environment and biodiversity of the Department of Environment, has said.Unfortunately, over 70 percent of the country is
suffering from severe drought
The severity of the drought is devastating in areas such as the Zagros, which is both a source of water and natural habitats, he
lamented.Droughts may affect three-quarters of the world by 2050The United Nations has warned that droughts may affect over three-quarters
but increasingly so in developed nations too.The number and duration of droughts have increased by 29 percent since 2000, as compared to the
two previous decades (WMO 2021)
When more than 2.3 billion people already face water stress, this is a huge problem
More and more of us will be living in areas with extreme water shortages, including an estimated one in four children by 2040 (UNICEF)
No country is immune to drought (UN-Water 2021).FB/MG
