Water resources in karst formations is one of the most important national resources in meeting the needs of drinking water, industry and even agriculture and more than 10% of the country is covered by hard formations (Karst). The first activity in the study of hard formations was the study of identification of Karst in the South Zagros, which was carried out in 1350 by the Water Resources Survey Office of the Ministry of Energy in three basins of Maharloo-Bakhtegan, Shoor Darab and Zohreh-Jarahi rivers. Along 1363 to 1365, in order to identify karst formations around the cities of Shiraz, Kazerun, Bandar Abbas and Mashhad, exploratory and piezometric excavations in these formations were carried out in the form of a contract with a company from former Czechoslovakia. Due to the importance of water resources of hard and karst formations and the difference between the hydraulic behavior of formation aquifers and alluvial aquifers, in order to conduct applied research in this field and provide technical and scientific services to related organizations throughout the country, in 1369 studies of basin water resources Maharloo in Shiraz was started by Water Resources Research Organization, as a sample. After the completion of these studies and the holding of the first international conference on karst water resources with emphasis on arid and semi-arid regions in 1372, the National Center for Karst Studies and Research was established in the Iranian Water Resources Management Organization, which then renamed to the National Center for Karst Studies and Research. In 2002, in order to integrate, consolidate and strengthen research in the country’s water industry, this center was transferred to the Water Research Institute together with the National Center for Cloud Fertility Research and Studies and the National Center for Caspian Studies and Research.