Iran Imposes Water Restrictions in Tehran Amid Severe Drought

Iran has begun limiting water supply to residents of Tehran due to a serious drought affecting the country.

“This will help prevent waste, even if it causes some inconvenience,” said Iranian Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi, The Caspian Post reports via Russian media.

Intermittent water outages in residential areas of Tehran began on November 8 morning.

Falling water pressure and declining surface and underground water reserves have caused great instability in the capital’s water supply.

Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that evacuation of Tehran could become necessary due to the water crisis. “Iran is facing natural challenges - a shortage of rainfall and depleted water resources, which carry severe consequences,” he said.

The president added: “If there is no rainfall soon, starting next month, we will have to impose strict water restrictions in Tehran. And if it does not rain, our reserves will run out, and we may have to evacuate people.”

Over the past five years, Iran has experienced a steady decline in rainfall. Meteorological data show that Tehran received 40 per cent less precipitation this year than the seasonal average, with almost no rain during spring and summer, leading to a catastrophic reduction in reservoir levels.