Iran is currently experiencing an unprecedented drought, particularly impacting its capital, Tehran, as this autumn sees rainfall at record lows and reservoirs nearing depletion. Officials are urging citizens to conserve water as the situation worsens.
Warnings from authorities
President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a stark warning that without substantial rainfall soon, rationing of water supplies in Tehran may become necessary. However, he cautioned that even such measures might not avert a catastrophe. In his own words,
“If rationing doesn’t work, we may have to evacuate Tehran.”
This statement has sparked outrage and ridicule in Iranian media and social platforms, with former Tehran mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi dismissing the notion as absurd.
According to meteorological reports, no rain is expected in the coming ten days, exacerbating the ongoing water crisis that is already disrupting daily life in the capital. A resident of Tehran expressed her plans to purchase water tankers for essential needs, stating, “I’m planning to buy water tankers to use for toilets and other necessities.”
Severe impact on water infrastructure
Conditions at local dams are alarming. The manager of the Latian Dam, a key water source for Tehran, revealed that it currently holds less than 10% of its full capacity. Similarly, the Karaj Dam, providing water to both Tehran and Alborz provinces, is in a critical state as well. An elderly local resident lamented, “I have never seen this dam so empty since I was born.”
Mohammad-Ali Moallem, the manager of the Karaj Dam, noted a staggering 92% decrease in rainfall compared to the previous year, reporting that only 8% of water in the reservoir is usable, much of it being classified as ‘dead water.’ This dire situation has prompted the government to look towards late autumn for potential rain relief, although forecasts remain pessimistic.
Iran’s Minister of Energy, Abbas Ali Abadi, has warned that authorities may soon be forced to limit water supplies, stating, “Some nights we might decrease the water flow to zero.” Additionally, measures will be put in place to penalize those who waste excessive amounts of water.
Beyond the immediate issues of drought, the energy minister also highlighted the aging water infrastructure in Tehran, which has suffered from significant leakage. He attributed some of the crisis to damages incurred during the recent conflict with Israel, where military actions led to flooding in the Tajrish neighborhood.
The water crisis extends beyond Tehran. Ahmad Vazifeh, head of Iran’s National Centre for Climate and Drought Crisis Management, warned that dams in several provinces, including West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, and Markazi, are in a precarious state, with water levels plummeting. In Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, alarms are being raised as the Governor of Khorasan Razavi Province reported that water reserves in local dams have fallen below eight percent, calling it a “mega-challenge of drought.” The CEO of Mashhad’s Water and Wastewater Company revealed even grimmer statistics, stating that the storage level of the city’s primary dam is below three percent.
This escalating water crisis has not emerged overnight; it is a culmination of decades of mismanagement and environmental changes. Even Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has acknowledged the impending threat during various addresses since 2011. Despite these warnings, little has been done to address the underlying issues. As a result, Tehran, Karaj, and Mashhad, home to over 16 million people, now face the very real possibility of their taps running dry.