Iran (IMNA) - The signatories emphasized that the revival of Zayandeh Rud is not merely a local demand but a national imperative linked to environmental sustainability, cultural heritage, and social stability. On the eve of Zayandeh Rud Commemoration Day, these institutions declared the following:
“As we gather on the occasion of Zayandeh Rud Commemoration Day,” the statement begins, “we reaffirm our collective commitment to reviving a river that has nourished life across Iran’s central plateau for centuries. Zayandeh Rud is more than a river—it is the living spirit of Central Iran and a symbol of the enduring connection between humanity and nature.”
The declaration notes that over the past three decades, the Zayandeh Rud has suffered severe hydrological instability, affecting both its ecological balance and the livelihoods of millions who depend on it.
While a small portion of this instability is attributed to climate change, most of the crisis stems from failures in fulfilling inter-basin water transfer commitments, as well as unsustainable and unregulated water use within and outside the basin.
Once regarded as an environmental challenge, the drying of Zayandeh Rud and the desiccation of the Gavkhouni Wetland have evolved into a national crisis with environmental, economic, social, and security dimensions.
The continued absence of surface water, overexploitation of groundwater, and lack of natural recharge through the river’s historic channels ( madis) have led to alarming levels of land subsidence —reaching up to 15 centimeters per year in some areas of Isfahan.
This phenomenon has caused cracks in the ground, structural damage to millennia-old cultural monuments, the evacuation of schools, and the partial collapse of residential buildings, threatening both human safety and national heritage.
The statement further warns that toxic dust emissions from the dry beds of the Gavkhouni Wetland and Zayandeh Rud River now affect regions hundreds of kilometers away, revealing the national scope and transboundary implications of the crisis.
It highlights persistent violations of legally recognized water rights, including the ratified environmental allocation for the Gavkhouni Wetland and the historic rights of the Zayandeh Rud Farmers’ Association (Toomar).
The growing insecurity of drinking water supplies for urban and rural communities within the basin is also cited as evidence of systemic mismanagement and legal neglect.
The declaration denounces the unlawful diversion of water, the unauthorized pumping of river resources to newly developed highland farmlands, and the unchecked exploitation of shared aquifers —calling these practices symptoms of an abandoned and inequitable water governance system.
“The desiccation of Zayandeh Rud and the Gavkhouni Wetland is a warning to us all,” the statement reads, “that neglecting natural resources transcends geography—it threatens national resilience and human well-being.”
Emphasizing that water is not only a source of life but the foundation of social cohesion, national security, and territorial stability, the signatories call for a unified and science-based national effort to restore Iran’s most iconic river system.
Their declaration sets forth the following commitments:
- Permanent restoration of the Zayandeh Rud River and the Gavkhouni International Wetland must be recognized as a national priority, fully integrated into the country’s macroeconomic and environmental policies.
- Equitable and knowledge-based water governance, grounded in existing legal frameworks and the principle of water rights, is essential for resolving the current crisis.
- All unregulated and non-sourced allocations, as well as illegal water withdrawals —particularly upstream of the Zayandeh Rud Dam and between the regulating dam and Zaman Khan Bridge—must be halted immediately, with damages compensated by the government.
- Pending water transfer projects intended to sustain the Zayandeh Rud basin must be expedited, given that their capacities have long been allocated elsewhere despite incomplete implementation.
- Full transparency in water sources and consumption, both surface and groundwater, must be established across the entire basin to ensure accountability.
The declaration underscores the vital role of civil society, academia, agricultural unions, and NGOs in monitoring and enforcing these measures.
“On this Zayandeh Rud Commemoration Day,” the declaration concludes, “we reaffirm our shared pledge: until the waters flow once more through the full course of the Zayandeh Rud, we will remain the enduring voice of Iran’s lifeline.
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