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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 – 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”.
Dams nearly empty
The manager of the Latian Dam, one of Tehran’s main water sources, says 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.
“I have never seen this dam so empty since I was born,” an elderly local resident told Iranian state TV.
According to Mohammad-Ali Moallem, the manager of the Karaj Dam, rainfall has plummeted dramatically.
“We had a 92% decrease in rain compared to last year,” he said. “We have only eight per cent water in our reservoir — and most of it is unusable and considered ‘dead water.'”
