Iran is facing its worst water crisis in decades, with officials warning that Tehran, home to over 10 million people, could become uninhabitable if the ongoing drought persists.

President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that if rainfall does not occur by December, the government will have to begin rationing water in Tehran. "Even if we ration and there’s no rain, we will have no water, and citizens will need to evacuate Tehran," Pezeshkian warned on November 6.

This crisis is a significant challenge for Iran’s clerical leadership, especially after water shortages sparked violent protests in Khuzestan province in 2021. Similar protests also occurred in 2018, with farmers accusing the government of mismanaging water resources.

The water crisis, exacerbated by a scorching summer, is not solely caused by low rainfall. Decades of poor management, including the overbuilding of dams, illegal well drilling, and inefficient farming practices, have significantly depleted water reserves. Pezeshkian’s government has blamed the crisis on the "policies of past governments, climate change, and over-consumption."

While protests have not yet broken out over the water shortages, Iranians are already struggling under the weight of a struggling economy, largely due to sanctions imposed over the country’s disputed nuclear programme. Persistent water shortages further strain families and communities, heightening the potential for unrest amid growing international pressure on the government.

The water crisis is now affecting Iran nationwide, from Tehran’s high-rise apartments to smaller towns. Mahnaz, a resident of eastern Tehran, described how she and her two children had to wait for hours after the water stopped flowing, using bottled water for basic needs. "It was around 10 p.m., and the water didn’t come back until 6 a.m.,” she said.

Iran’s National Water and Wastewater Company has denied reports of formal water rationing in Tehran but confirmed that water pressure has been reduced at night and could be cut off completely in some districts. Pezeshkian had previously warned that 70% of Tehran residents were using more than the recommended 130 litres of water per day.

Tehran’s reservoirs are at just half their capacity. The capital relies on five reservoirs fed by rivers from outside the city, but inflow has dropped significantly. Behzad Parsa, head of Tehran’s Regional Water Company, said that the water level at the Amir Kabir Dam had fallen by 43% from last year, leaving it with only 8% of its capacity. The city's total water storage has decreased from nearly 500 million cubic metres to just 250 million, which could be depleted in two weeks at current consumption rates.

The crisis extends beyond Tehran. In Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, water reserves have dropped below 3%, and residents report low pressure throughout the day. "The pressure is so low that we literally have no water during the day. I have installed water tanks, but how long can we continue like this?" said Reza, 53, a Mashhad resident.

The water shortages come after record-high temperatures and widespread power outages. In response, the government declared emergency public holidays in July and August to reduce water and energy consumption, shutting down some public buildings as temperatures exceeded 50°C (122°F) in some areas.

Climate change has worsened the crisis, with rising temperatures accelerating evaporation and the depletion of groundwater. Some newspapers have criticised the government’s environmental policies, highlighting the appointment of unqualified officials and the politicisation of resource management, although the government has rejected these claims.

In response to the water crisis, authorities have taken temporary measures, such as reducing water pressure and transferring water from other reservoirs to Tehran. However, these are stopgap measures, and the public has been urged to install water storage tanks and pumps to minimise disruption.

Despite these efforts, many citizens are frustrated. A university teacher in Isfahan, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, "Too little, too late. They only promise, but we see no action. Most of these ideas are not feasible."

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