The Division of Civil Engineering of the Department of Engineering Sciences of the Academy held the second meeting on the Future of Underground Water Resources and Subsidence in Iran on March 6th.
The attendees included 110 experts from various fields including geology, geotechnics, structures, social sciences, sociology, agriculture and water engineering, members of the Division and some members of the Water Think Tank of the Academy.
Initially, the participants exchanged views on the three key questions of the meeting. They emphasized on the pessimistic outlook regarding the status of underground water resources and subsidence in the country and considered various prerequisites, far beyond the engineering solutions pursued by the governments, to realize the balance of aquifers. In particular, it was emphasized on the evolution of governance, policy making and legislative systems, improvement of water resources and subsidence monitoring systems, and strengthening the role of local communities and non-governmental organizations.
