Drought in Iran: Tehran's dams' water levels drop by 55%, signaling impending disaster
The Iranian capital, Tehran, is experiencing a severe and unprecedented water crisis, with recent official reports revealing an alarming drop in water levels at the main dams supplying the city and its surrounding areas. State media reported that water reserves have plummeted by a staggering 55% compared to the same period last year, presenting the country with complex environmental and service-related challenges.
Shocking figures reveal the scale of the crisis
In a press statement, Rama Habibi, an official with the Tehran Regional Water Company, explained that the water situation has reached critical levels. He noted that the total water stored in Tehran Province's dams currently stands at only 170 million cubic meters, compared to 381 million cubic meters during the same period last year. The official news agency IRNA confirmed these figures, highlighting the extent of the water shortage plaguing the capital.
Habibi added that the five strategic dams on which Tehran depends, namely “Latian, Amir Kabir, Lar, Mamlu and Taleghan”, all show a significant decrease in incoming water flows compared to long-term rates, which calls for urgent measures to manage this shortage.
The climatic and geographical context of the crisis
This sharp decline cannot be separated from the overall climatic context in Iran, a country classified as semi-arid and facing its worst drought since climate data began being recorded six decades ago. This crisis coincides with one of the driest autumns in the country's modern history.
In numerical terms, officials indicated that the third month of autumn saw only 1.7 millimeters of rainfall, representing a catastrophic 96.5% decrease in rainfall rates in Tehran province compared to last year. This accelerating climate change exacerbates the "water scarcity" problem that experts have been warning about for years.
Potential environmental and economic repercussions
The impact of this drought extends beyond the issue of drinking water shortages; it casts a long shadow over the agricultural sector and food security, in addition to posing geological risks. With the scarcity of surface water, reliance on groundwater increases, leading to land subsidence, a problem plaguing Tehran and several other Iranian cities, where land is sinking at alarming rates annually due to the depletion of underground reservoirs.
The continuation of this crisis could also lead to social and economic tensions, as other regions in Iran have previously witnessed protests related to water shortages and water mismanagement, making the water issue a top priority for Iranian national security.
Government measures and temporary solutions
In an attempt to mitigate the crisis, Iranian authorities have resorted to technological solutions such as cloud seeding (artificial rainmaking) to stimulate rainfall, in addition to implementing periodic water rationing programs to conserve domestic and industrial water. On a popular and religious level, citizens in several cities have held prayers for rain in recent weeks, hoping to change the harsh weather conditions threatening the capital and its surrounding areas.
