⁉ An impression of land subsidence in Iran
Land subsidence, the gradual settling or sudden sinking of the land surface due to the subsurface movement of earth materials is mainly caused by the compaction of the aquifer system, drainage and decomposition of organic soils, underground mining, oil and gas extraction, water compaction, natural compaction.
Currently, about 29 provinces are at risk of subsidence.
So far, 110 points and 44 regions in the country have been observed in terms of subsidence.
The two factors of climate change and human intervention are the most important factors of land subsidence in the country.
During the past decades, the exploitation of groundwater has increased dramatically due to permanent droughts, leading to the depletion of aquifers.
80% of Iran’s underground water is extracted annually, which is higher than the global rate.
In the whole world, the extraction of water resources is between 3 and 20%, and when it reaches 40 to 60%, it is a problem, and when it exceeds 60 to 80%, it will be a crisis.
Over the past decades, some aquifers have dropped by 100 cm.
Inefficient irrigation methods, in addition to drilling unauthorized wells, are other main causes of groundwater subsidence, because out of 50,000 groundwater pumping wells in the capital, 30,000 are illegal.
During the next 40 years, the country’s temperature will increase by 2.6 degrees Celsius, which will increase the country’s need for more water resources.
Out of 608 plains of Iran, more than 300 plains are severely drowning and entry is prohibited.
Some 18 densely populated provinces are undergoing extensive subsidence and, as a result, are increasingly vulnerable to floods and natural disasters, as well as suffering extensive infrastructure damage.
The provinces of Isfahan, Tehran, Kerman, Razavi Khorasan, Alborz, Fars, Yazd, Hamadan, Markazi, Chaharmahal Bakhtiari, East Azerbaijan, Zanjan, Qom, Ardabil, Kurdistan, West Azerbaijan, North Khorasan and Kermanshah reported the highest subsidence rates, respectively. .
Tehran is the most populous city in West Asia, which is sinking into the ground at an alarming rate.
The metropolis is home to about 15 million people and is the victim of dramatic subsidence. New research shows that the region is sinking more than 25 cm per year in some places.
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This post is written by parsa86sa