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Tehran’s on the Brink of Water Shortage
Tehran is facing a severe water crisis as its main reservoir, the Amir Kabir Dam, nears depletion amid Iran’s worst drought in a century.
Amir Kabir Dam, one of the five main reservoirs supplying water to Tehran (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Iranian capital is facing an unprecedented water crisis as one of its key reservoirs nears depletion. With officials warning that Tehran’s main source of drinking water could run dry within two weeks.
According to state media reports, the Amir Kabir Dam, one of five major dams supplying water to Tehran, currently holds just 14 million cubic meters of water. Only eight percent of its total capacity. Behzad Parsa, director of Tehran’s water company, told IRNA that at current consumption levels, the dam can sustain the city’s water supply for just two more weeks.
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Parsa said the situation marks the worst drought in decades, with rainfall in Tehran province “nearly without precedent for a century.” A year ago, the Amir Kabir Dam held 86 million cubic meters of water, but the region has now experienced a “100 percent drop in precipitation,” he added.
The megacity of more than 10 million residents depends heavily on the Alborz Mountains, whose snow-fed rivers replenish the reservoirs. However, with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius in Tehran and exceeding 50 degrees in southern regions this summer, the water levels have continued to decline.
Authorities have begun implementing emergency conservation measures, including cutting water supplies to several neighborhoods and declaring two public holidays in July and August to reduce consumption. Outages were frequent throughout the summer as power demand surged amid extreme heat.
President Masoud Pezeshkian previously warned that “the water crisis is more serious than what is being discussed today,” urging national attention to the growing threat.
Iran’s water shortages have been attributed to mismanagement, excessive use of underground resources, and the worsening effects of climate change. Neighboring Iraq is also facing its driest year since 1993, as water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers have dropped by up to 27 percent due to poor rainfall and upstream restrictions.
The ongoing crisis underscores the growing environmental and humanitarian challenges facing the region as it struggles with record heat and dwindling freshwater reserves.
Editor’s Note:
Tehran’s looming water crisis highlights the escalating impact of climate change and decades of resource mismanagement across the region. as Iran’s reservoirs approach critical lows, the crisis serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for sustainable water policies and regional cooperation to prevent a humanitarian disaster.
