Investigation and classification of water resources management strategies: possible threats and solutions

The scarcity of global water resources has been exacerbated by a variety of factors, including population growth, the impacts of climate change, and mismanagement. Policymakers face a challenge in managing tradeoffs between human water demands and maintaining the world’s water resources. This study investigates water resource management strategies using Iran’s example, a country in the Middle East with arid and semi-arid climate. A review of water resources management strategies in Iran shows the country’s policies leaned more on short-term solutions. Short-term water management addresses immediate shortages and emergencies, implemented during droughts and water scarcity, while long-term strategies reduce water demand by addressing underlying drivers and involve significant investments and planning horizons. Iran has focused on implementing short-term solutions to address the effects of water scarcity on food and water security. This work shows that short-sighted water policies such as the large-scale use of water resources and water transfers may cause adverse impacts, among those land subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal and environmental degradation. It is worth noting that such short sighted water policies do not constitute sustainable solutions to water scarcity. On the other hand, water policies that seek long-term sustainability are frequently ignored by policymakers. The latter water policies are herein evaluated for the purpose of increasing water supply. Strategies such as improving water consumption patterns and setting reasonable water pricing can contribute to remedy the water crises in arid countries like Iran. An overview of case studies is presented and assessed to illustrate the effectiveness of long-term, sustainable, water supply policies.