Mehdi Zare, a professor at the International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering, warned that Tehran is on the “brink of drought.” He stated that the drilling of more than 32,000 illegal wells in Tehran province is a major factor contributing to this situation, and that Tehran will become a “semi-arid region” within the next decade.
In an interview with the state-run Khabar Online news agency, published on Friday, March 7, Zare emphasized: “The Alborz region and Tehran are currently experiencing the depletion of surface and groundwater resources, turning the water crisis into a socio-economic challenge in some areas, with signs of hydrological and socio-economic drought.”
Zare pointed out that water levels in Tehran’s dams have fallen below 40% of their capacity. He added, “30% of the city’s water is lost due to leaks in the deteriorating pipeline network.”
According to the professor, the critical drought in the Alborz Mountain range is a complex issue driven by long-term climate trends and water management challenges.
He warned that if the current trend continues, southern Alborz and the surrounding areas of Tehran could turn into a “semi-arid region” within the next decade, and reversing this process would require decades of effort and investment.
In this regard, Iranian media have reported that as Tehran experiences its fifth consecutive year of drought, a 45% decrease in rainfall has sounded the alarm for water shortages in the capital.
The CEO of Tehran’s Water and Wastewater Company stated that there are no plans for water rationing. However, he urged citizens to reduce their consumption by 20% “to avoid a difficult summer ahead.”
The state-run Jomhouri-e Eslami newspaper criticized the country’s energy resource management, writing: “With complete mismanagement and under the pretext of balancing electricity supply and avoiding power outages in residential areas, water from dams was released in an unplanned manner solely for electricity production. They claimed the release was entirely calculated and that no issues would arise for the next water year.”
The newspaper added: “They were hoping for sufficient autumn and winter rainfall to replenish reservoirs, but that did not happen. Climate forecasts turned out to be accurate, and now we are left with empty dams and officials who, after forgetting their summer promises, have quietly resumed water consumption control while blaming the situation on nature.”
