4,000 in drought-ridden areas provided with social services

TEHRAN – The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has dispatched volunteer teams to provide social services to the people residing in drought-stricken provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan, South Khorasan and Hormozgan, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

85% of Iran's population affected by prolonged drought: official

TEHRAN – Over 85 percent of the country’s total population is affected by prolonged drought over the past decade, Sadeq Ziaeian, director of the national center for drought and crisis management affiliated to the Meteorological Organization, told ISNA on Friday.

Water donation campaign aims to ease drought in 4 provinces

TEHRAN – The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) will launch a campaign for the second time to solicit public donations to ease water stress in four provinces of the country.

Rainfall brings drought-hit southeastern Iran back to life

TEHRAN – Long battled with drought, the southeastern province of Kerman benefits from heavy rainfall which filled the province’s water resources and quenched pastures’ thirst, despite causing damages to the infrastructure and farms, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

Wetter-than-normal year not to make up for prolonged drought

TEHRAN – Hassan Sasani, an official with Isfahan regional water company, emphasized the urgency to tackle water scarcity in central parts of the country, noting that longstanding drought will not be eased by a year of above-normal precipitations.

Recent rainfalls not to fully address prolonged droughts: expert

TEHRAN – Despite above normal rainfalls amounting to 256 millimeters the country has received since the beginning of the current water year (starting on September 23, 2018), it cannot be claimed that the long-term droughts are set right, director for flood control and aquifer at Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization has said.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Massive water transfer projects not to ease acute shortages but cripple ecosystems

TEHRAN – Water transfer schemes looking attractive to many of those residing in drought-stricken central Iran worried about drought, not only does not eliminate water scarcity, but inevitably involves polluting the environment along with damaging agriculture, people’s fragile source of income.

Drought-stricken southeastern Iran hoping for rain

TEHRAN – While an intense burst of snow has blanketed 22 provinces of the country, the southeastern province of Kerman is suffering from the lack of downpours along with severe sand and dust storms (SDSs), Mehr news agency reported on Friday.