Iran's Unprecedented Water Emergency
Iran is currently grappling with its most severe water crisis in approximately six decades, with major dams across the country reaching critically low levels that threaten the water supply for millions of citizens. The situation has become so dire that Iranian officials have implemented emergency water rationing measures in Tehran, while President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that residents might need to evacuate if conditions continue to deteriorate.
The Alarming Status of Iran's Water Supply
According to the Iranian National Committee on Large Dams, the country operates 523 large dams that typically supply drinking water to 99.6% of urban populations and 82% of rural communities. However, recent reports paint a grim picture of the current reality. The Iranian Water Resources Management Company revealed that in October alone, 19 major dams representing 10% of the country's reservoirs had completely run dry.
The crisis is particularly acute in Tehran, where the five major dams supplying water to the capital are at what officials describe as critical levels. One dam is nearly empty, while another operates at less than 8% capacity. The Amir Kabir Dam on the Karaj river, a crucial water source north of Tehran, has seen water levels plummet to historic lows, with current estimates suggesting it holds only 14 million cubic liters daily - barely enough to last two weeks given that daily water consumption in the province exceeds 3 million cubic liters.
The situation extends beyond Tehran to other major cities. In Mashhad, Iran's holiest city located in the north-eastern province of Razavi Khorasan, water levels at the four dams supplying the city have dropped below 3%, according to the ISNA news agency.
Root Causes of Iran's Water Bankruptcy
The immediate trigger for Iran's drought has been exceptionally low autumnal rainfall, following a dry summer characterized by soaring temperatures and extensive power cuts. However, experts argue that the crisis stems from deeper, systemic issues related to water management policies.
Climate scientist Kaveh Madani, in his 2016 research paper Iran's Socio-economic Drought: Challenges of a Water-Bankrupt Nation, identified several contributing factors including unchecked dam construction, unsustainable agricultural practices, and illegal well drilling that have collectively depleted Iran's water reserves over decades.
The consequences of these policies are visible in Tehran, where the ground is sinking at an alarming rate of 300 mm per year - approximately sixty times the critical threshold for infrastructure stability and safety.
Madani has criticized Iranian officials for blaming climate change and Western industrial nations for carbon emissions while overlooking domestic policy failures that have created what he describes as water bankruptcy.
Other factors complicating the situation include global economic sanctions that have forced Iran to develop domestic industries with outdated, inefficient technology. Conspiracy theories about neighboring countries stealing rain clouds have also circulated, though Iranian officials have sought to dismiss these claims.
Government Response and Future Projections
The Iranian government has implemented several measures to address the crisis. Water rationing has been initiated in Tehran, with water pressure reduced from midnight until morning to minimize urban leakage and allow city reservoirs to refill. The Iranian Energy Ministry has also proposed cloud seeding as an immediate solution to induce rainfall.
President Pezeshkian has long advocated for more radical solutions, including relocating the country's capital to southern regions with better access to open waters. His warnings about the impending water crisis date back several months, with government projections in July indicating that water reserves would last only a few weeks.
As the situation remains precarious, all eyes are on the skies for adequate rainfall that could provide temporary relief. Without significant precipitation soon, Iran faces the prospect of implementing more severe water conservation measures or, in the worst-case scenario, organizing evacuations from affected areas.
