Tehran On The Brink: Can Iran Survive Its Water Crisis
I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition, Im looking at the worsening water crisis in Iran and its implications.
What You Need To Know
Worsening Water Crisis: Iran is experiencing a deepening water crisis that has forced authorities to impose widespread water cuts, with dam reservoirs across the country dropping to their lowest levels in decades. Drought, mismanagement, and mounting climate challenges are causing major disruptions to daily life for millions.
US Management of the Zangezur Corridor In The Caucasus: The United States hassuggestedputting the proposed Zangezur Corridor -- connecting Azerbaijan and its Naxcivan exclave via Armenia -- under American management, triggering alarm in Iran. Experts say Tehran fears the plan would isolate it, weaken its influence, and force reliance on Azerbaijan for trade, risking geopolitical suffocation. Armenia insists the link must remain a transit route under its sovereignty, while Azerbaijan opposes any foreign involvement. Analysts describe the US proposal as unworkable and ill-prepared.
Iran, E3 To Meet In Istanbul: Iran and the E3 (Britain, France, and Germany) areset to meetin Istanbul on July 25 for deputylevel talks on Tehrans nuclear program and potential sanctions relief. It will be their first meeting since a June cease-fire that ended a 12day conflict between Israel and Iran and followed US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The EUs deputy foreign policy chief will also attend. European governments have warned they could trigger a UN snapback of sanctions by the end of August if talks stall, while Iran insists on recognition of its right to enrich uranium and trustbuilding steps from Washington before deeper negotiations.
The Big Issue
Iranians wait in line for water in Tehran.
Is Tehran Becoming Uninhabitable?
Over 40 cities across Iran, including Tehran, are facing routine water rationing and prolonged supply interruptions.
In some areas, households and businesses endure hours-long daily outages as officials scramble to take emergency measures.
The roots of the crisis lie in a mix of prolonged drought and drastically reduced rainfall, soaring temperatures, excessive extraction from aquifers, and years of inefficient management -- especially in agriculture.
While urgent water transfer projects and aggressive conservation campaigns have been launched, the scale of the problem is nationwide, affecting both urban centers and rural communities.
President Masud Pezeshkian has acknowledged the scale of mismanagement that contributed to the crisis, arguing that basic changes are now critical to the nations future.
Hes also referenced the worsening water crisis to again broach the subject of moving the country's capital, saying the continued survival of Tehran as the capital is no longer possible.
Why It Matters: Iran has entered its fifth consecutive year of drought, with rainfall in several provinces, including Sistan-Baluchistan, Hormozgan, Bushehr and Khuzestan, dropping by more than 50 percent.
The prolonged dry spell has severely strained water supplies, with the latest reports indicating that reservoirs feeding Tehrans dams are now at just 14 percent of their total capacity.
Pezeshkians government last year floated an ambitious idea: relocating the nations capital to the Makran coast on the shores of the Sea of Oman. He even appointed his campaign chief, Ali Abdolalizadeh, as a special envoy for maritime economy development.
However, following widespread criticism, the plan has been quietly shelved. Analysts warn that the Makran region itself remains underdeveloped, with large areas still lacking even basic water pipelines.
What's Being Said: Azam Bahrami, a water and environmental expert based in the Netherlands, says agricultural practices need to change in Iran as part of broader reforms to ensure efficient water use.
She told RFE/RLs Radio Farda that agriculture accounts for up to 90 percent of Irans water use.
Water officials say nearly half of Irans provinces are now officially water-stressed and that current supplies simply dont match demand.
Expert Opinion: The decisive factor is the ruling establishment, because it is the authorities who invest, introduce new technologies, monitor progress, and strengthen society to help it endure climate change and long-term drought, Bahrami told Radio Farda.
That's all from me for now.
Until next time,
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