Iran's capital, Tehran, is facing severe water shortages due to an unprecedented drought, with rationing already in place for its 10 million residents. President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned of formal rationing or even evacuation if rains do not arrive by late November. The crisis highlights broader vulnerabilities in Iran's water management and climate challenges.
Tehran, home to about 10 million people, has begun water rationing amid the country's driest and hottest autumn in nearly 60 years. Residents are experiencing nightly pressure cuts from midnight to 5 a.m., and the city has seen no rain since early September, with none forecast soon.
The city's water supply relies on five major reservoirs; one has completely dried up, and another is below 8 percent capacity. The Karaj Dam holds just two weeks of drinking water, according to the Tehran Regional Water Authority's managing director. Similar shortages threaten Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, where reserves have fallen below 3 percent, endangering 4 million people.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, in October, stated that the water crisis makes Tehran unsustainable as the capital. Speaking to state media on Thursday, he said: “If it doesn’t rain in Tehran by late November, we’ll have to [formally] ration water. And if it still doesn’t rain, we’ll have to evacuate Tehran.”
Iran's issues stem from high urban water use, sanctions limiting access to advanced technologies, and a focus on agriculture that consumes up to 90 percent of water withdrawals. Over 82 percent of the country is arid or semi-arid, ranking it sixth among nations prone to natural disasters. Analyst Nik Kowsar described a “water mafia” pushing unsustainable megaprojects like dams and wells, leading to “water bankruptcy.”
Evacuation talk has drawn criticism; former Tehran Mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi called it “a joke,” noting the logistical impossibility for a city central to the economy. Experts like David Michel from the Center for Strategic and International Studies suggest strategies such as volumetric tariffs to manage demand and ensure system sustainability. The crisis echoes past near-misses in cities like Cape Town and São Paulo, serving as a warning for arid regions worldwide.