The water crisis in Iran has reached a stage where water outages in various cities have become a daily reality. Meanwhile, reports from domestic media outlets, statistics from relevant institutions, and accounts from citizens show that widespread restrictions on drinking water supplies have affected the lives of millions of people. The Iranian regime is also attempting to portray the water crisis as a natural crisis, while poor management, the overuse of resources beyond their capacity for warmongering purposes, and the effects of drought and climate change have multiplied the severity of the crisis.
At the same time, a citizen said in a video published on July 18 that municipal water had been cut off in some areas of Shahriar for about one week. According to him, residents are turning to water tankers operated by the Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Company to obtain the water they need and are transporting it to their homes in containers.
Water Shortages in Iran Have Become a Chronic Crisis, and Alarm Bells Are Ringing
Water crisis; intensifying water stress in dozens of cities across the country
The state-run IRNA news agency reported on July 21, citing the secretary-general of Iran’s Water Industry Federation, that 34 cities across the country are currently facing water stress and problems with drinking water supplies.
Alireza Shariat, secretary-general of Iran’s Water Industry Federation, said regarding Tehran’s water resources that about 60% of the country’s population is concentrated in Tehran Province, while these areas have not received sufficient rainfall. He added that a significant portion of Tehran’s water is supplied from surface water resources and dams, but five consecutive years of drought have meant that even adequate rainfall in a single year cannot compensate for existing shortages.
He described reducing water losses in distribution networks as one of the most essential measures. According to him, in some cities, despite investment in producing water through desalination plants, a significant portion of the produced water is lost due to the deterioration of transmission networks.
This expert also emphasized that Tehran’s water network is facing widespread deterioration and that the actual level of water loss is likely higher than official figures. According to him, reducing this waste could create a capacity equivalent to constructing one or two new dams to supply the capital with water.
Warning about the future of water resources and the worsening water crisis
Shariat warned that if the current approach to water resource governance continues, while rising temperatures and declining rainfall persist, parts of Iran’s Central Plateau will face the risk of environmental collapse in coming years.
He added that per capita water resources in many areas of the Central Plateau are far below global standards, demonstrating the severity of the water crisis in these regions.
Despite the continuation of this situation, regime officials continue to cite various factors as the cause of water shortages. Abbas Aliabadi, the regime’s energy minister, claimed in an interview with the regime’s state broadcaster IRIB, that U.S. attacks “have affected a large amount of the country’s energy and water capacity.”
In contrast, official reports show that the current problems are the result of a long-term process. The water crisis has affected citizens’ lives for years, and its consequences have become evident in many provinces.
Water bankruptcy, water outages, and expanding tensions in provinces
IRNA news agency wrote on July 11 that the drought in South Khorasan, which began in the 1999-2000 water year, has now entered its 26th consecutive year.
Abbas Sarani, CEO of the South Khorasan Regional Water Company, announced that the province’s cumulative groundwater deficit over the past 30 years has reached 4.2 billion cubic meters. He also reported observing land subsidence in 17 study areas of the province.
Peter H. Gleick, co-founder of the Pacific Institute and one of the world’s most recognized water researchers, has warned that excessive extraction of groundwater is one of the most dangerous forms of unsustainable water use, because restoring many aquifers may take decades or even centuries.
The combination of official statistics, domestic media reports, and citizens’ statements shows that the water crisis has moved beyond the warning stage and has reached widespread disruptions in drinking water supplies in many Iranian cities. This gap between realities on the ground and official positions demonstrates the government’s incompetence in managing water resources and reveals the true dimensions of Iran’s water crisis. The UN World Water Development Report has repeatedly emphasized that the water crisis is not merely a natural issue, but depends on the quality of governance, transparency, planning, and resource management. The report states that poor management, the exploitation of resources beyond their capacity, and delays in reforming policies multiply the effects of drought and climate change.
