Iran in crisis as major drought forces regime to cut off water to Tehran, consider evacuation
Tehran will have its water supply cut during nights to mitigate the ongoing drought as officials mull evacuating the city of 10 million people. AFP via Getty Images
Iran is preparing to shut off water in several regions — including the capital city, Tehran — as the nation endures its most severe drought in decades.
The regime announced Saturday that it would begin cutting off the water supply in stages due to dangerously low reserves. Officials are even considering mass evacuations from Tehran if conditions do not improve, according to Haaretz.
“We are forced to cut off water supply to citizens on some evenings so that reservoirs can refill,” Energy Minister Abbas Alibadi said on state television. He urged residents to install water pumps to help offset weak pressure and intermittent supply, adding, “This will help avoid waste even though it may cause inconvenience,” France24 reported.
President Masoud Pezehkian warned in a national address Friday that if no rain falls by December, Tehran’s roughly 10 million residents may have to evacuate to other parts of the country. Officials provided no further details on how or when such evacuations might occur.
Tehran consumes about 790 million gallons of water each day, according to France24. The Amir Kabir Dam — one of five main reservoirs serving the capital — now holds only 3.6 billion gallons, less than one-sixth of the volume recorded at the same time last year. Reports indicate that pipes in several provinces have already begun to run dry.
Authorities have been aware of the worsening drought since July, when Alibadi reported a 31% decline in rainfall, according to Iran Focus. Half of Iran’s 31 provinces have gone months without significant rain.
In response, the regime has explored importing water from neighboring Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, according to reports. Iran’s geography — dominated by mountains and arid desert — places it within a subtropical dry belt where central regions receive less than four inches of rainfall annually, according to World Data.
As the crisis intensifies, global observers note that the situation underscores the Islamic Republic’s long-term water mismanagement and environmental neglect — issues that could soon push millions of Iranians into displacement.
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