Tehran Faces Evacuation Amid Catastrophic Water Shortage

Iran's capital, Tehran, is on the brink of a catastrophic water shortage, so severe that the country's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, announced on November 7 the possible evacuation of the capital.

"If it doesn't rain in Tehran by the end of November, we will be forced to introduce water rationing. And if there is no rain [even after that deadline], we will have to evacuate Tehran," Pezeshkian stated.

The head of Tehran's water supply noted that the capital's main source of drinking water, the Amir-Kabir dam, "contains only 14 million cubic meters of water, which is eight percent of its capacity." He warned that at this level, the city would only be able to supply itself with water for "two weeks."

Tehran is home to more than 10 million people who consume about 3 million cubic meters of water daily. As part of water conservation measures, water supply has reportedly been temporarily suspended in several districts of Tehran in recent days; similar disruptions also occurred in the summer.

The Center for Middle East and Global Order Studies (CMEG) concludes in its latest analytical report, "Iran and Regional (In-)Stability & Security Briefing (IRIS)," that the water resource crisis in Iran not only threatens reservoirs but is also "collapsing the country's wetlands and depleting underground aquifers."

Furthermore, there is no sign that "the Iranian leadership intends to change its course" and invest in infrastructure, so, according to experts, the situation "will continue to worsen." The report emphasizes that in the past, "the ecological crisis has often become a cause for political protests against the regime and its authorities." Therefore, the water situation may also have political consequences.