The present challenges and policy for sustainable management of groundwater resources in Iran: putting emphasis on Lorestan province as an example in the country

Iran is performing an unsustainable groundwater management plan, causing depletion of the aquifers and deterioration of their quality. To grapple with the prevailing challenges, the groundwater resources sustainability management plan (GRSMP) was instigated in 2014. The objective of this study is to represent the challenges encountered when performing the plan, including social, cultural, demographic, economic, institutional, inter-organizational, technical, technological, political, legal, juridical, environmental, agricultural, and hydrological perspectives, in order to propose adaptation strategies for maintaining invaluable groundwater resources in Iran. Lorestan province, in west Iran, is a representative region that includes plentiful aquifers, and its challenges and proposed strategies can be generalized to the whole country. Results highlighted that despite performing GRSMP, groundwater levels are declining, primarily due to anthropogenic influences, in all basins over the province, so that the aquifers may not sustain themselves for the next generations if conditions remain business as usual. In addition, climate change is exacerbating the situation, especially in the karst groundwater systems. Therefore, GRSMP cannot be applied anymore, and in fact, it is highly recommended to promptly initiate a new practical groundwater resources management plan by considering different related factors so as to expect a resilient and sustainable future with hydrogeoethics and prevent potential negative environmental repercussions that are already occurring, such as land subsidence.