Tehran Faces Potential Evacuation as Iran’s Water Crisis Deepens
TEHRAN, Iran – A looming water crisis threatens Tehran, a city of over 14 million people, with potential evacuation as iran struggles with extreme heat and dwindling reservoirs. the warning, issued by Iranian official Dr. Alireza Pezeshkian, suggests a possible need to relocate residents south by mid-December, though the feasibility of such a move has been disputed by other government officials.
the crisis stems from a severe drought exacerbated by rising temperatures, with water temperatures reaching as high as 50C. While residents are responding to calls for conservation, reducing water consumption by 10% in the last seven months, officials say a 20% reduction is necessary to avert disaster. Water rationing is already underway in the capital, with water pressure restricted after midnight, but authorities, including Mohsen ardakani, the director general of Tehran’s provincial waste and company, insist full cutoffs will be avoided.
The possibility of evacuation, initially dismissed as unrealistic, is gaining some traction among experts. Dariush Mokhtari, a senior academic in water resources management, conceded that parts of Tehran reliant on dam water may need to be evacuated should conditions worsen. Other academics, like Mostafa Fadaei fard, question the logistical capacity to accommodate a mass relocation, asking if sufficient housing exists elsewhere in Iran, or if the entire contry would ultimately need to be evacuated if drought conditions persist.
Despite the dire situation, signs of a thorough emergency campaign remain limited. Though, environmental activists like Mohammad Darwish, co-editor of Environment as Life, report a growing environmental movement focused on finding practical solutions to adapt to the climate crisis. Dr. Pezeshkian’s stark warning appears to be breaking through public denial, forcing Iranians to confront the severity of the water shortage.
