Iran is confronting an unprecedented national emergency as its capital city, Tehran, faces the potential of mass evacuation due to the most severe drought the country has witnessed in decades.
A Nation Parched
The crisis stems from record low levels of rainfall, which have left reservoirs across the country critically depleted. According to the Iranian Water Resources Management Company, 19 major dams—approximately 10% of the nation's reservoirs—have effectively run dry. The situation in the capital is particularly dire, with Tehran's water reserves holding at less than 10% of their total capacity.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has addressed the nation, stating that if scarce rainfall continues, the government will be forced to introduce strict water rationing. The forecast offers little hope, with meteorologists predicting no significant rainfall for the next ten days.
Infrastructure and Conflict Compound the Crisis
Iran’s Minister of Energy, Abbas Ali Abadi, has issued a stark warning that authorities may soon have to cut water supplies, potentially reducing flow to zero during some nights. He also indicated that households and businesses could face penalties for excessive water consumption.
Minister Abadi clarified that the crisis is not solely a result of the drought. He pointed to significant water leakage from Tehran's century-old water infrastructure as a major contributing factor. The minister also referenced the recent 12-day conflict with Israel, noting that an Israeli strike on northern Tajrish on 15 June caused heavy flooding, which further strained water management efforts.
National Consumption and Political Fallout
The water shortage is a nationwide issue. In the city of Mashhad, Iran's second most populous city, dam levels have plunged below 3%. Hossein Esmaeilian, CEO of the city’s water company, urged citizens to reduce consumption by 20% to avoid supply cuts, revealing that current usage is about 8,000 litres per second.
President Pezeshkian's evacuation remarks have sparked significant criticism within Iran. Gholamhossein Karbaschi, the former Mayor of Tehran, dismissed the idea as nonsensical, calling it a "joke". Despite the political debate, the factual reality remains grim. Local officials confirm that rainfall in the capital is at its lowest level in a century, placing over 16 million people in danger of their taps running completely dry.
While Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned of a looming water crisis since 2011, the current situation represents a dramatic worsening of a long-standing environmental challenge for the nation.