Iran’s capital could run out of water within weeks as the country faces its fifth consecutive year of drought, officials warned, with key reservoirs supplying Tehran’s 10 million residents dropping to critically low levels.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday that without immediate conservation efforts, “there won’t be any water in dams by September or October.” The warning comes as Tehran enters its fifth consecutive year of drought.
Satellite imagery shows the city’s main water sources are at critically low levels: the Amir Kabir reservoir holds just 6% of capacity, while Lar and Latyan reservoirs are below 10%. Overall, reservoirs serving Tehran are at just 20% capacity.
“This could be summed up in one term: water bankruptcy,” said Kaveh Madani, director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, after reviewing the satellite data.
The crisis has forced unprecedented measures. The government shut down Tehran for a day in July to conserve water and electricity, and authorities have imposed 12-hour water cuts on high-consumption households.
Iran has experienced a 40% decrease in rainfall this year compared to long-term averages. All but one of Iran’s 31 provinces are now experiencing water stress, with reservoirs nationwide at just 44% capacity.
Water experts blame decades of mismanagement, including excessive groundwater pumping and inefficient agricultural practices. Agriculture consumes about 90% of Iran’s water despite contributing only 10% to the economy.
The crisis has sparked protests in rural areas, with farmers clashing with authorities over water allocation. In Tehran, residents have been seen carrying jugs to fetch water from relatives’ homes as demand for household pumps and storage tanks surges.
Pezeshkian has called the situation “more serious than what is being discussed today” and warned that Tehran may need to be relocated if the crisis continues. The government is urging residents to cut water usage by 20%, from 250 to 200 liters per person daily.
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