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Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01604-9
Iran Is Draining Its Aquifers Dry
(Nature) Iran is using more groundwater than can be naturally recharged, according to an analysis of Iran's groundwater-monitoring system from 2002 to 2015 by Roohollah Noori at the University of Oulu in Finland. During that period, the number of wells nearly doubled, yet the amount of groundwater extracted declined by 18%. Nationwide, the groundwater table dropped by an average of almost half a meter per year. In many wells, the water has become significantly saltier, so that only salt-tolerant plants could thrive. Water scarcity threatens the livelihoods of people across Iran as the land becomes drier.