Fri Nov 14 09:40:00 UTC 2025: Tehran on the Brink: Water Crisis Threatens Evacuation as Mismanagement and Drought Collide
TEHRAN – Decades of mismanagement coupled with the worst drought in 60 years have pushed Iran to the edge of water bankruptcy, with the capital city of Tehran potentially facing evacuation, according to warnings from government officials and experts.
President Masud Pezeshkian has sounded the alarm, suggesting that severe water shortages could necessitate the relocation of parts of Tehran, a city of approximately 10 million residents. He even raised the possibility of moving the capital altogether. Currently, water supplies are already being rationed in the evenings in Tehran.
Kaveh Madani, director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health, argues that the government’s warnings don’t adequately reflect the dire reality on the ground. He believes officials are downplaying the crisis to avoid public panic.
“The level of their warnings is too low compared to the reality on the ground,” Madani, former deputy head of Iran’s Department of Environment, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda.
The country’s reservoirs are running dangerously low. The five primary reservoirs supplying Tehran are at just 11% of their total capacity. The situation is similarly critical in other cities, including Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest, where reservoir levels have plummeted below 3%. Across the nation, 19 major dams are completely dry, and over 20 hold less than 5% of their capacity.
Experts attribute the crisis to a combination of drought and misguided government policies aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in agriculture. Iran produces a large amount of its own food, but this has come at the expense of unsustainable water consumption.
Azam Bahrami, a sustainable development expert, stressed the need for a comprehensive assessment of water usage and the implementation of long-term solutions.
The water crisis has sparked protests in the past, highlighting the public’s frustration with the government’s handling of the situation. Experts emphasize that fundamental reforms and tough policy decisions are crucial to averting a catastrophic outcome.
Iranian officials have yet to release a detailed plan to address the emergency, further fueling public concern. The water crisis also is exacerbed by the public’s lack of trust in the authorities.
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