5 days ago
Is Iran running out of water? – DW – 08/06/2025
A heat wave and water shortages are paralyzing public life in Iran. Authorities call it an extreme drought, but climate experts say their warnings have been ignored for years.
Authorities in Iran ordered many government offices and public institutions in 16 of Iran's 31 provinces, including Tehran, to remain closed on Wednesday in an attempt to cut power consumption amid an extreme heat wave that has been ongoing since mid-July.
The extreme weather is expected to continue for at least five more days in many parts of the country, according to the meteorological agency, with temperatures forecast to hit 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in some areas.
The heatwave has been accompanied by drought, with the capital, Tehran, experiencing its lowest rainfall in 60 years, severely impacting the city's water resources, according to the Tehran Provincial Water and Sewage Corporation.
Water pressure in Tehran's pipeline network has been reduced to counteract the falling water levels in the city's reservoirs.
"All rivers and water sources within a 100-kilometer radius of Tehran have been depleted," according to Nasser Karami, who researches sustainable development, climate change and water management.
"Tehran is not a place where authorities can simply resort to another source when water is scarce," the Norway-based researcher told DW.
Tehran city, which is home to more than 9 million people, is located on the northern edge of the central Iranian desert zone. Water scarcity has been a central issue for the city administration since at least 1969.
Building code violations, resource mismanagement and over-consumption have impacted the capital's drinking water resources, which are only adequate for a limited number of people.
Experts have been warning for decades that Iran — whose population tripled from 28 million in 1969 to 92 million in 2025 — does not have sufficient resources to support its growing number of inhabitants, expanding agriculture needs, or the high water consumption of its industry and households.
"Nature has paid the price for this policy," said environmental expert Mansour Sohrabi, who has been based in Germany since 2015. "Water shortages, heat waves in cities that have hardly any trees left, sandstorms, and particulate matter pollution are the result of these misguided developments."
In recent weeks, water has been turned off for up to 48 hours in several Iranian cities. Electricity is also in short supply. The use of air conditioning puts additional strain on the already unstable power grids. With temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius, power outages lasting hours are a regular occurence, which is an almost unbearable burden for many people.
"We have been warning the authorities in Iran about this situation for 30 years," said climate researcher Karami. "It was clear that the uncontrolled development of large urban metropolises would lead to precisely this point.
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"All of this was predicted," Karami emphasized, adding that the government knew about it, but did nothing. "And that is how the current situation came about."
"The isolated measures currently being taken are not enough to address the crisis," warned Sheena Ansari, head of an environmental protection organization in Iran.
Years of neglecting sustainable development have led to the country now facing numerous environmental problems. No concrete plans to address the crisis have been announced.
According to recent statements by climate experts in Iran, 80% of the country's reservoirs are nearly empty. Normal water supplies will not be restored for at least two months, when seasonal rainfall will help ease the situation.
Experts who have offered concrete solutions have long been frustrated, one of which is Mohammad Darvish. He has spent decades researching deserts and advocating for the development of sustainable water sources during the rainy season.
"One of the most effective ways to save water is to channel surface water into underground layers — especially those containing coarse sediments," Darvish told German public broadcaster ARD.
In such layers, the water can easily seep into the ground and be stored underground, preventing it from being lost through evaporation, Darvish explained.
"It can serve as a long-term reservoir and provide a sustainable water source for years to come."
Last week, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian warned against excessive water consumption which he said could leave the capital facing severe shortages by September, according to Tasnim news agency reported.
Iran is facing recurring electricity, gas and water shortages during peak demand months, coupled with over-consumption,
"In Tehran, if we cannot manage and people do not cooperate in controlling consumption, there won't be any water in dams by September or October," Pezeshkian warned.
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