Tehran's Water Crisis: Unprecedented Drought and Looming Displacement

Mon Nov 10 2025 22:10:46 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Iran's capital faces an alarming drought with record-low rainfall, leading officials to consider strict water rationing amid rising public concern and infrastructure issues.

Tehran is grappling with a severe water crisis due to an unprecedented drought this season. With reservoirs nearing depletion and calls for conservation intensifying, government officials warn that rationing may not suffice to avert disaster. Critics challenge the notion of evacuating the city, while recent armed conflict further complicates the water situation. Experts highlight the long-term neglect of infrastructure and a history of water mismanagement as significant factors contributing to the crisis.

Iran - especially its capital, Tehran - is facing an unprecedented drought this autumn, with rainfall at record lows and reservoirs nearly empty. Officials are pleading with citizens to conserve water as the crisis deepens.

President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that if there is not enough rainfall soon, Tehran's water supply could be rationed. But he said that even rationing might not be enough to prevent a disaster.

If rationing doesn't work, Pezeshkian said, we may have to evacuate Tehran. His comments have prompted criticism in Iranian newspapers and on social media. Former Tehran mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi called the idea a joke and said evacuating Tehran makes no sense at all.

Iran's meteorological officials say no rainfall is expected over the next 10 days. Meanwhile, the water crisis is already affecting daily life in the capital. I'm planning to buy water tankers to use for toilets and other necessities, a woman in Tehran told BBC Persian.

The manager of the Latian Dam, one of Tehran's main water sources, said it now holds less than 10% of its capacity. The nearby Karaj Dam which supplies water to both Tehran and Alborz provinces, is in a similarly dire condition.

Iran's energy minister has indicated that the crisis is not solely due to lack of rainfall, blaming water leakage caused by the capital's aging infrastructure and even impacts from the recent war with Israel. As authorities prepare for possible cuts in water supplies, officials have also stated plans to penalize those who overconsume water.

Despite the warnings, many experts express concern that the issues facing Iran's water management have been years in the making, highlighting a concerning trend of neglect in addressing water supplies nationwide.