As modern ecologists say, climate changes shall undoubtedly affect all the world. However, some countries, in comparison with others, shall get under greater blow because of different reasons, and against this background, current water resources crisis shall become the main one. It is expected that Iran shall one of these countries. Because polluting by Armenia of Aras transboundary river of Azerbaijan with industrial wastes, heavy metals and domestic wastes using Okhchuchay, make it clear that Iran shall face a water crisis in the coming years. It was no accident that Supreme religious leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, when addressing to the citizens in 2021, said that the water resources should be the main priority of the leadership of the country in the coming years.
Pursuant to “Hamshahri” newspaper publishing in Tehran, Iran is geographically located in the land zone of the Earth with high temperatures and low rainfall. That is why, Iran shall face serious water crisis in 2025 and water shortage in 2040. There is some impact of natural factors. But impossibility for Iran to use Aras river as a source of drinking water due to polluting Okhchuchay by Armenia shall cause serious consequences for this country. Thus, in many provinces in the north of Iran, the water of Aras river was also used as a source of drinking water till now. In addition, agricultural lands of that region are mainly irrigated with the water of this river.
It should be noted that, starting from 1993 it was impossible to conduct the monitoring on Okhchuchay river, because the river was located on the territory of Zangilan region, Azerbaijan, occupied by Armenia. It became possible for the specialists of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (MENR) to conduct the monitoring in the river only after 27 years (in 2020), when the territories of Azerbaijan had been liberated from the occupation of Armenian military units during Patriotic War. This monitoring revealed terrible facts. High content of heavy metals, especially copper, molybdenum, manganese, iron, zinc and chromium, were found in the water samples taken from Okhchuchay in 2021. Pursuant to the monitoring reports of MENR, the content of the copper- molybdenum compound in the river was two, of iron – four and nickel – seven times higher than standard limits. The colour of the river periodically changed due to the pollution. In order to attract the attention of international community to the matter related to ecological disaster in the river, Azerbaijan had to appeal to the authoritative laboratories of foreign countries. The analysis of the water and bottom deposits samples from the river was conducted at the request of MENR by German laboratory. The test results of the water samples revealed high content of heavy metals, especially iron, copper, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, chromium, nickel, etc. in the waters of the river surface. It even revealed that the content of hazardous substances in the deposit samples exceeded standard limits several times, and the river pollution level was found to be critical. In other words, at present it is impossible to use the water of Aras river as a source of drinking water. The use of such the water is able to lead to very harmful complications for the human, such as digestive disorders, destructive processes in the kidneys and bone tissue, cardiovascular, nervous and circulatory systems diseases.
Therefore, Azerbaijan already beats the alarm related to the fact of environmental terror by Armenia in the region. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources addressed a letter to all the international organizations in order to inform about ecological crisis and critical situation in Okhchuchay, including expected environmental risks for the river and its ecosystem in terms of its continuous pollution by Armenia, and in order to prevent the pollution. The letter emphasizes the fact that this action of Armenia is very dangerous for environment of the country, as well the human health and asks international organizations to attract the attention to this matter.
Iran is also worried about the pollution of Aras river by Armenia and fears that this shall lead not only to the destruction of the ecosystem in the region, but also to unrest in the country related to the water problems. Because there have been several riots in the country related to the water problem. E.g., as a result of large- scale actions in May- June 2021, 10 demonstrators died and hundreds were injured. In such the provinces as Sistan and Balujistan, Khuzestan, where the main activities were agriculture and cattle breeding, the residents were forced to slaughter their animals and move to the cities due to insufficient water resources. But the situation in these cities was also bad. Against this background, if Armenia continues to pollute Aras, this shall ultimately lead to new unrest in the north of Iran.
Of course, Iran takes steps in order to prevent further backsliding. But is this enough? Shall Iran be able to fight against the consequences after economic crisis in the country due to the embargoes, as well the pollution of Aras river by Armenia using Okhchuchay?
In such a case, Iranian authorities raise fair question. Is not it time for taking active steps related to Armenia that pollutes fresh water pools in the South Caucasus?