Iran’s dam projects
Finansial Times Newspaper datet MARCH 19, 2015 mentioned Iran's dam projects. According to the Financial Times News;
“ Over the past three decades, Iran has built 600 dams – an average of 20 a year – to irrigate farms and provide power. It is unclear how much has been spent on these projects, though it is believed to be second only to gas and oil in terms of investment, and much of the money has been channelled through contractors linked to the Revolutionary Guard.
The news continues mentioning some design mistakes of large dams in Iran.
Poor planning and 14 years of drought have rendered many of them useless and, in some cases, they have contributed to environmental damage in the semi-arid country, experts say. Not a single dam has been opened on Mr Rouhani’s watch. His change in attitude has, however, been discreet. Disparaging dambuilders would involve criticising all of his predecessors, including those who support him. Former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who backed Mr Rouhani at the polls, opened, on average, one dam every 45 days, earning himself the nickname ‘commander of construction’. But while they were once meant to be symbols of authority and a reliable buyer of votes, “most dams are currently and regrettably struggling with serious problems”, said Mohammad Darvish, a director-general of Iran’s Environment Protection Organisation.
Most dams are currently and regrettably struggling with serious problems Mohammad Darvish, a director-general of Iran’s Environment Protection Organisation
“We certainly can say that, after the [1979] revolution, the highest volume of investment after oil projects was for the dam construction but could not yield fruits,” added Mr Darvish. “If we had [used] renewable energy, we could spend less money and generate more electricity . . . without damaging the environment.” The issues with the dams hint at greater problems to come. Domestic media have warned that the country’s nine major cities – including Tehran – will soon face water shortages. “Our economic situation is worse than previous years because of the drought,” said Ghorban-Ali, a shepherd, who lives near the Seymareh dam.
Source :
Monavar Khalaj in Ilam 2015
"Iran’s Rouhani rolls back on dam projects"available at : https://www.ft.com/content/56704462-ccb7-11e4-b5a5-00144feab7de?mhq5j=e1
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