Tehran Faces โขPotential Evacuation as โขWater reserves Dwindle
TEHRAN -โ Iranian President Ebrahim โRaisi has warnedโ that Tehran may need toโ be evacuated in late โNovember or early Decemberโ ifโ rainfall doesn’t materialize, โคas the capital faces a critical water shortage. The announcement, made in a speech broadcast byโ state television,โ comes amid dwindling water โreserves and increasing concerns over a prolongedโฃ drought.
The crisis stems from considerably reduced precipitation across Iran this year,with โrainfall totaling 152 millimeters – 40% less than the โฃ57-year average. Some provinces have experienced declines of 50 to 80%,โค according to Mohammad Reza Kavianpour, head of the Water Research Institute in โฃTehran, who urged the country โฃto “prepare for โขa critical โขsituation.”
Behzad โขParsa,director of Tehran’s water company,stated Sunday that the city risks running outโค of drinking water within โคtwo weeks. the Amir Kabir dam,one of five supplyingโข Tehran,currently holds โonly โ14 million cubic meters of water,representing 8% of โคits โcapacity.
Authorities are urging conservation, with Tehran residents reducing water consumption by 10% over the past six months.Officials estimate a โ20% reduction could maintain stability for another month or two,โค pending rainfall. โคWater has already been โคcut off in some areas of โขtheโฃ city, following frequent outages experienced during the summer months. In July and August, the government even declared two public holidays to conserve water and energy during a heatwave.
The situation underscores the โขgrowing impact of climate change, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reporting an increase in โthe frequency and intensity of extreme events like โขdroughts. The World Bank projects that climate change โcould displace 216 million people withinโค their own countries by 2050.
