List of reservoirs and dams in Iran
Encyclopedia
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
in the 1950s. Some fourteen large dams were built with the help of foreign engineers and advisors during two decades preceding the Islamic Revolution.
In the post-revolution era, Iran's dam building capacity was significantly strengthened, with some 200 contracting companies, 70 consultant firms and 30 corporations as well as hundreds of hydroelectric manufacturing units having been established inside of Iran in less than three decades. In addition to the necessity of generating electricity, Iran needs dams to effectively control and manage a growing water shortage across the country.
Iran was constructing 88 small and giant dams in 2007. On average, close to two billion cubic meters of water are added to the country’s water reserves annually. As of 2010, Iran has constructed 588 dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s (big and small), with 137 more under construction and 546 planned.
Major reservoirs and dams in Iran
- Alavian DamAlavian DamThe Alavian Dam and Lake is situated on the Soofian Chay river in East Azerbaijan Province, northwestern Iran. It is located about 3 kilometres north of Maraqeh. It is an earth-fill embankment dam with a height of 76 metres and was built between 1990 and 1995; opening on January 1, 1996. The dam...
- Alqadir Dam
- Amir Kabir DamAmir Kabir DamAmir Kabir dam , also known as Karaj dam, is a dam in Iran, located northwest of Tehran and north of Karaj. Amir kabir Dam was constructed on the Karaj River, and was the first multi-purpose dam in Iran.- Construction :...
- Aras Watershed Dam
- Dez DamDez DamThe Dez Dam is a large hydroelectric dam built in Iran in 1963 by an Italian consortium.The dam is on the Dez River in the Northwestern province of Khuzestan, the closest city being Andimeshk. It is high, making it one of the highest in the world, and has a reservoir capacity of...
- Doroodzan DamDoroodzan DamDoroodzan dam is a hydroelectric dam in Iran with an installed electricity generating capability of 10 MWh. It is situated in Fars Province....
- Gavoshan DamGavoshan DamGavoshan Dam is an embankment dam on the Gaveh River south of Sanandaj in Kordestan province, Iran. It was created for the primary purpose of irrigation but also supports an 11 MW hydroelectric power station. Water from the dam's reservoir is transferred for irrigation in Kordestan and Kermanshah...
- Karun-3 damKarun-3 damThe Karun-3 dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Karun river in the province of Khuzestan, Iran. It was built to help meet Iran's energy demands as well as to provide flood control. The Karun has the highest discharge of Iran's rivers....
- Karun-4 damKarun-4 damThe Karun-4 Dam is an arch dam on the Karun River in the province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran. The Karun has the highest discharge of Iran's rivers. The objectives of the construction of Karun-4 dam and hydroelectric power plant are electric power supply and flood control.The dam is a...
- Karkheh damKarkheh damThe Karkheh Dam is a large multi-purpose earthen embankment dam built in Iran on the Karkheh River in 2001 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ....
- Khoda Afarin Dam
- Lar DamLar DamLar Dam is a dam located at the foot of Mount Damavand, Amol. It is one of the main sources of water for Tehran, the local metropolitan region.-Construction:...
- Latyan DamLatyan DamLatyan Dam is a dam located less than 25 km from Tehran. It is one of the main sources of water for Tehran metropolitan region.-Geology:...
- Jiroft damJiroft DamJiroft Dam is a hydroelectric dam in Iran with an installed electricity generating capability of 85 MWh. It is situated in Kerman Province.-External links:...
- Jegin Dam
- Iran–Turkmenistan Friendship DamIran–Turkmenistan Friendship DamThe Iran–Turkmenistan Friendship Dam is a dam on the Hariroud River, which forms part of the international boundary between Iran and Turkmenistan. The dam was completed in 2004, and both countries agreed that each would have an equal right to the waters of the river, which amount to 820 million...
- Ilam Dam
- Sefid River damManjil DamManjil Dam is a hydroelectric dam in Iran with an installed electricity generating capability of 87 MWh. It is situated in Gilan Province.-References:...
- Mamloo Dam
- Marun DamMarun DamMarun Dam is a hydroelectric dam in Iran with an installed electricity generating capability of 151 MWh. It is situated in Khuzestan Province.-References:...
- Nader Shah dam
- Masjed Soleyman DamMasjed Soleyman DamThe Masjed Soleyman Dam previously named "Godar-e Landar" is a dam in Iran on the Karun river. It is about high and generates 2,000 MW of power, and its reservoir holds of water. The dam is a rockfill structure with a clay core built for the Iran Water and Power Resources Development Co. The dam...
- panzadh(15) Khordad Dam
- Shirvan Dam
- Shahid Abbaspour damShahid Abbaspour damThe Shahid Abbaspour Dam is a large arch dam providing hydroelectricity from the Karun River; it is located about northeast of Masjed Soleiman, in the province of Khuzestan, Iran, and originally completed in 1976, and formerly named "Reza Shah Kabir Dam"...
- Sivand DamSivand DamSivand Dam is a planned dam in Fars Province, Iran. Named after the nearby town of Sivand located northwest of Shiraz, it has become the center of worldwide concern due to the flooding it will cause in historical and archaeologically rich areas of Ancient Persia and possible harm it may cause to...
- Zarrine River (Bukan) dam
- Zayandeh River damZayanderud DamZayanderud Dam is a hydroelectric dam in Iran with an installed electricity generating capability of 50 MWh. It is situated in Isfahan Province....
International projects
One of Iran’s most important international projects will see the construction of a $200-million hydroelectric dam in NicaraguaNicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
starting 2011. Iran is currently engaged in dam construction in Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, and consultations are underway with a number of other countries. Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
are the potential target markets being considered for exporting the country’s technical and engineering services. In 2010, Iran won a contract to build a dam in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and the third contract to build a power plant station in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
See also
- List of power stations in Iran
- Irrigation in IranIrrigation in IranIrrigation in Iran covers 89,930 km2 making it the fifth ranked country in terms of irrigated area.-Tidal irrigation at Abadan island, Iran:The Abadan Island in Khūzestān Province is situated between the Arvand and Bahmanshir rivers...
- Construction in IranConstruction in IranIn recent years, the construction industry of Iran has been thriving due to an increase in national and international investment to the extent that it is now the largest in the Middle East region...
- Energy in IranEnergy in IranEnergy resources in Iran consist of the third largest oil reserves and the second largest natural gas reserves in the world. Iran is in a constant battle to use its energy resources more effectively in the face of subsidization and the need for technological advances in energy exploration and...
- IDROIDROIndustrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran was established in 1967 in Iran. IDRO Group is one of the largest companies in Iran, it's also on of the largest conglomerates in Asia. IDRO's objective is to develop Iran's industry sector and to accelerate the industrialization process...
(Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran) - AZAR AB Industries CoAZAR AB Industries CoAZAR AB Industries Co is a large Iranian manufacturer of power plant and oil, sugar and gas refinery equipment in the Middle East.As of 2005, AZAR AB Industries Co., headquartered in Tehran, Iran, employed more than 2,500 people...
- Water supply and sanitation in IranWater supply and sanitation in IranWater supply and sanitation in Iran has witnessed some important improvements, especially in terms of increased access to urban water supply, while important challenges remain, particularly concerning sanitation and service provision in rural areas....
- International rankings of Iran
- Environmental issues in IranEnvironmental issues in IranEnvironmental issues in Iran include, especially in urban areas, vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents which contribute to poor air quality. Most cars use leaded gas and lack emissions control equipment. Tehran is rated as one of the world’s most polluted cities...
External links
Videos- Inauguration of Iran's highest concrete dam (2011 PressTV video)
- List of reservoirs and dams in Iran (Persian site of Iranian government)