Iran's Looming Water Catastrophe
Iran is confronting what officials describe as its worst drought in decades, with water levels in dam reservoirs supplying the country's second largest city plunging to critically low levels. The north-eastern city of Mashhad, home to approximately four million people and considered Iran's holiest city, faces an unprecedented water emergency that could have severe consequences for its population.
Critical Water Shortages in Major Cities
According to recent reports, water storage in Mashhad's dams has fallen to less than 3% of capacity, creating an extremely precarious situation for the metropolitan area. Hossein Esmaeilian, chief executive of the city's water company, confirmed the alarming statistics to the ISNA news agency, stating that the current water consumption in Mashhad reaches around 8,000 litres per second, with only 1,000 to 1,500 litres per second being supplied from the rapidly diminishing dams.
The crisis extends beyond Mashhad to the capital city Tehran, where authorities have warned of potential rolling water supply cuts. Five major dams supplying drinking water to Tehran are currently at what officials describe as "critical" levels, with one reservoir completely empty and another operating at less than 8% of its capacity.
National Emergency and Political Fallout
President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a stark warning that without significant rainfall before winter, even Tehran could face evacuation scenarios. Nationwide, the situation appears equally dire, with Abbasali Keykhaei of the Iranian Water Resources Management Company revealing that 19 major dams – representing approximately 10% of the country's reservoirs – have effectively run dry.
The water crisis has sparked political controversy within Iran, with reformist newspapers criticising what they describe as the politicisation of environmental decision-making. Etemad newspaper pointed to the appointment of "unqualified managers in key institutions" as a primary cause of the crisis, while Shargh daily asserted that "climate is sacrificed for the sake of politics."
Esmaeilian emphasised that managing water use has transitioned from being merely a recommendation to an absolute necessity. He urged citizens to reduce consumption by 20%, suggesting this could help avoid rationing or complete water supply cuts, while warning that those with the highest consumption levels might face supply restrictions first.
The drought has already prompted extraordinary measures, including the announcement of public holidays in Tehran during summer months to reduce water and energy consumption during heatwaves that caused almost daily power outages.