Tehran dams half-empty amid historic drought
Tehran is facing an alarming drop in its water reserves, with dam levels around the capital falling to nearly half of what they were a year ago. The decline comes as Iran endures one of the driest years in decades, raising serious concerns about water scarcity for the country’s most populated region.
According to national media, water stored in the reservoirs serving Tehran province has dropped to about 170 million cubic meters—far below the roughly 380 million recorded during the same period last year. Local water authorities describe rainfall levels as exceptionally low, with less than 2 millimeters recorded since the start of autumn.
Experts warn that the capital, home to over 10 million residents, is experiencing one of its driest periods in modern history. Although light rains finally arrived this week, hydrologists say they are far from enough to compensate for months of extreme dryness.
The Iranian government has already introduced nighttime water cuts in an effort to limit consumption. President Massoud Pezeshkian has repeatedly cautioned that, without sufficient rainfall, authorities might face drastic measures, including the possibility of relocating parts of the population—though details on such a plan remain unclear.
The drought is not confined to Tehran. Across Iran’s 31 provinces, rainfall is reported to be below seasonal averages, with some regions—such as Bushehr, South Khorasan, Qom, and Yazd—experiencing precipitation levels drastically lower than normal. Environmental specialists stress that the combination of climate change, rising temperatures, and water mismanagement is intensifying the crisis.
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