Water management dilemma in the agricultural sector of Iran: A review focusing on water governance

Around 90% of fresh renewable water is being used in Iran, indicating high water stress conditions across the country. Given that agricultural irrigation accounts for the majority of water use and consumption, any efforts to alleviate water stress must focus on enhancing agricultural water management. This paper aims to exhaustively compile the existing literature on the consequences and drivers of water insecurity, and to discuss the strategies balancing food and water security in the context of agricultural water management. Severe water scarcity can be largely attributed to governance gaps in Iran. In addition, inefficient water use, population growth, and warming/drying trends in the recent half a century are other major causes of the water scarcity. Groundwater over-depletion, quality deterioration of aquatic resources, decreased environmental flows and habitat destruction, and water conflicts are the significant consequences of improper water management in Iran. Several water productivity and conservation interventions, drawn from a rich literature, were suggested to improve agricultural water management in Iran. Furthermore, some water-food-energy nexus optimization methods, including changing cropping patterns, modifying energy tariffs, manipulating food diet, and reducing food waste, were discussed. Nexus-based strategies, which aim to achieve a balance between food production and water sustainability, are of high importance in reducing water consumption in the agricultural sector. While there has been a significant focus on improving water productivity and nexus-based measures, it is essential that policy-makers prioritize enhancing the water governance dimensions to effectively address water scarcity and its consequences in Iran. In other words, improving the water governance system is a prerequisite for adopting any strategy aimed at enhancing agricultural water management and coping with water security. [Display omitted] •This study addresses water scarcity in Iran focusing on the agricultural sector.•Severe water scarcity can be mostly attributed to water governance gaps in Iran.•Groundwater degradation is the most tangible consequence of poor water management.•Improving water-food-energy nexus, water productivity, and governance is essential.•Improving water governance is a prerequisite for enhancing food-water security.