Major dam construction started in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

in the 1950s. Some fourteen large dams were built with the help of foreign engineers and advisors during two decades preceding the

Islamic Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...

. 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 Water scarcity (closely related to water stress or water crisis) is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. There are two types of water scarcity: physical or economic water scarcity. Physical water scarcity is where ...

across the country. Iran was constructing 88 small and large 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 A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

s (big and small), with 137 more under construction and 546 planned.

Major reservoirs and dams in Iran

* Alavian Dam * Alqadir Dam * Amir Kabir Dam * Azad Dam * Bust-e gez Dam *

Daryan Dam The Daryan Dam, also spelled Darian, is an embankment dam constructed on the Sirvan River just north of Daryan in Paveh County, Kermanshah Province, Iran. The primary purpose of the dam is to supply up to of water annually to the long Nowsud W ...

Dez Dam ) , image = , image_size = , image_caption = , image_alt = , location_map = Iran , location_map_size = , location_map_caption = , coordinates = , country = I ...

Doroodzan Dam Doroodzan Dam is an earthen dam in Fars Province, Iran, about north of Shiraz. Completed in 1974 and built primarily for irrigation water storage, flood control, and municipal water storage, the facility is also a hydroelectric dam with an insta ...

* Ashavan Dam *

Garan Dam The Garan Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Garan River, a tributary of the Sirvan River, about northeast of Marivan in Kurdistan Province, Iran. Construction on the dam began in 2002 and it was inaugurated by Iranian President Mahmoud ...

* Gavoshan Dam * Ilam Dam *

Iran–Turkmenistan Friendship Dam The Iran–Turkmenistan Friendship Dam or Doosti Reservoir Dam (, ) is a dam on the Hari River (Hariroud), which forms part of the international boundary between Iran and Turkmenistan ( Iran-Turkmenistan border). The dam was completed in 2004, ...

* Jegin Dam *

Jiroft dam Jiroft Dam is a hydroelectric dam in Iran with an installed electricity generating capability of 85 MWh situated in Kerman Province. The fifth concrete dam built in the country, it was begun in 1975 and completed in 1992 (6 Daymah 1370 in Persian ...

* Karun-1 (Shahid Abbaspour) Dam * Karun-2 (Masjed Soleyman) Dam * Karun-3 Dam *

Karun-4 Dam The Karun-4 Dam is an arch dam on the Karun, Karun River located at 180 km southwest of Shahr-e-Kord in the province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran. The Karun has the highest discharge of all the Iranian ...

Karkheh dam The Karkheh Dam ( fa, سد کرخه) is a large multi-purpose earthen embankment dam built in Iran on the Karkheh River in 2001 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The dam is in the northwestern province of Khūzestān, the closest ...

Khoda Afarin Dam Khoda Afarin Dam (also spelled as Khodaafarin Dam or Khudafarin Dam) is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Aras River straddling the international border between Iran and Azerbaijan. It is located west of Khomarlu in East Azerbaijan Province, Ira ...

Kouhrang 1 Dam The Kouhrang 1 Dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Kouhrang River about southwest of Chelgard in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran. The primary purpose of the dam is to divert up to of water annually via the long Kouhrang 1 Tunnel to th ...

Kouhrang 2 Dam The Kouhrang 2 Hydroelectric Power Station is located just south of Chelgard and about northwest of Shahrekord in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran. The power station has an installed capacity of 33.3 MW and uses water diverted to the eas ...

Lar Dam Lar or LAR may refer to: Places ;India * Lar, Uttar Pradesh, a town in Deoria District * Lar (Jammu and Kashmir), a town * Lata (region), also known as Lar, former region of southern Gujarat ;Iran * Lar, Iran, a city in Fars Province * Lar, Ea ...

Latyan Dam Latyan Dam ( fa, سد لتيان, also Romanized as ''Sadd-e Latyān'') is a buttress dam on the Jajrood River, located less than 25 km from Tehran in the south of city of Lavasan. It is one of the main sources of water for Tehran metropolitan ...

Mahabad Dam Mahabad Dam (Persian language, Persian: سد مهاباد) is an embankment dam on the Mahabad River near the city of Mahabad, West Azerbaijan province, Iran. It was built before the Islamic revolution by Yugoslavian engineers and is one of the ten ...

* Mamloo Dam *

Marun Dam Marun Dam, also spelled Maroun, is a rock-fill embankment dam on the Marun River about north of Behbahan in Behbahan County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. The dam serves to provide water for irrigation and to generate hydroelectric power as well. ...

* Nader Shah dam * Panzadh Khordad Dam *

Rudbar Lorestan Dam Rudbar Lorestan Dam (Persian Language, Persian: سد رودبار لرستان) is a hydroelectric dam on the Rudbar River, a tributary of the Dez River, in Iran's Lorestan Province with an installed electricity generating capability of 450 M ...

* Sardasht Dam * Sefidrud (Manjil) Dam *

Seimare Dam Seimare Dam ( fa, سد سیمره), also known as Hini Mini or spelled Seymareh, is an arch dam on the Seimare River in Badreh County, Ilam Province, Iran. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation. Studies for the dam were ...

* Shahid Rajaee (Soleyman Tangeh) Dam * Shahid Talebi Dam *

Shamo Dam Shamo dam (from ar, سَّد شمو, in fa, سد شمو also known as Sad Shamo, is a dam in Kukherd, southwestern Kukherd District, Hormozgan Province, Iran. Geology The Shamo Valley basin is located in the southern part of Nakh Mountain, ...

* Shirvan Dam * Siah Bishe Dams * Silveh Dam *

Sivand Dam Sivand Dam is a dam built in 2007 in Fars Province, Iran.Sumbar Dam *

Tarik Dam Tarik Dam is a dam on the Sefīd-Rūd river in the Alborz mountain range, about south of Rasht in Gilan Province, northern Iran. It is located downstream of the Sefidrud Dam. The dam was completed in 1977 to distribute releases from the Sefid ...

Upper Gotvand Dam Upper Gotvand Dam, or simply the Gotvand Dam, is an embankment dam on the Karun River about northeast of Gotvand in Khuzestan Province, Iran. It currently has an installed capacity of 1,000 MW with another 1,000 MW in the works for a second p ...

* Zarrine River (Bukan) Dam * Zayandeh River Dam

Under construction

* Aras Watershed (Meghri) Dam *

Bakhtiari Dam The Bakhtiari Dam is an arch dam currently under construction on the Bakhtiari River within the Zagros Mountains on the border of Lorestan and Khuzestan Provinces, Iran. At a planned height of , it will be the world's tallest dam once completed a ...

* Khersan-3 Dam * Kouhrang 3 Dam

Ancient dams

Band-e Kaisar The Band-e Kaisar (), Pol-e Kaisar ("Caesar's bridge"), Bridge of Valerian or Shadirwan was an ancient arch bridge in Shushtar, Iran, and the first in the country to combine it with a dam. Built by the Sassanids, using Roman prisoners of war as ...

Boz Dam Boz Dam (from ar, سَّد بُـز, in fa, سد بز), also known as Buz Dam, is a dam in Kukherd city, southwestern Kukherd District, Hormozgan Province, Iran. Location Bust gez Valley basin is located in the southern part of Zeer Mountai ...

Jaber Dam Jaber Dam (from ar, سَّد جابر , in fa, سد جابر), also known as Jabar Dam, is a dam in Kukherd city, southwestern Kukherd District, Hormozgan Province, Iran. Geology The Chan Valley basin is located in the southern part of Z ...

* Jawid Dam * Kebar Dam *

Kurit Dam The Kurit Dam is a masonry arch dam located 34 km southeast of Tabas, Iran near the village of Kurit. The dam is an early arch dam constructed by the Mongolians around 1350 AD. Dam The dam was originally 60m tall but 4m of height was added ...

* Shahi Dam *

The Great Hagi Jaffar Dam Great Hagi Jaffar Dam (from ar, سد حاجي جعفر الكبير , in fa, سد حاجی جعفر گّب), is a dam in Kukherd city, southwestern Kukherd District, Hormozgan Province, Iran. Geology Awe Sherino Valley basin is located in the ...

International projects

One of Iran’s most important international projects will see the construction of a $200-million hydroelectric dam in

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...

starting 2011. Iran is currently engaged in dam construction in

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

and

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

, and consultations are underway with a number of other countries.

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

and

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...

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, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

and the third contract to build a power plant station in

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

References

External links