Comparing the Water Storage Changes in Iran and Its Six Neighboring Countries with the GRACE Satellite Data on Google Earth Engine

Water plays a vital role in sustaining life and meeting the water needs of various sectors such as agriculture, industries, and households. As water resources continue to be depleted, several hazards arise for the communities. Declining water quality, a declining water table, reduced plant growth, droughts, diminished agricultural productivity, and the underutilization of power generation stations are some of the hazards associated with these conditions. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor the changes in water resources. The traditional methods used for measuring water storage face various challenges, including limited spatial coverage, low temporal resolution, high cost and resource requirements, and accuracy limitations. To address this challenge, remote sensing sensors such as the GRACE satellite provide a rich source of information that can be used to evaluate water reserves. Moreover, the Google Earth Engine provides access to a wide range of satellite imagery and geospatial data for various applications, making geospatial information more accessible and enabling informed decisions. This study analyzed the GRACE satellite time series data from 2002 to 2017 to investigate and compare water storage changes in Iran and six neighboring countries: Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The final statistical analyses indicate a decrease in water reserves in almost all mentioned countries. The analysis of the results shows that Iran ranks second in terms of water reserve consumption after Iraq, which had the worst performance. Our study concludes with a concerning outlook on water storage in Iran, primarily attributed to inefficient water resource management, reduced rainfall, drought, and excessive withdrawals.