Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a stark warning about Tehran's critical water shortage and land subsidence, calling it God's wrath and urging immediate, collaborative action from officials and experts.
Speaking at a meeting of the Tehran Province Planning and Development Council on Saturday, Pezeshkian highlighted the severe imbalance between resources and consumption in the capital.
"The imbalance between resources and consumption is God's wrath because we have ruined God's blessing," he said, citing dangerously depleted groundwater reserves and a 36-centimeter land subsidence in Varamin, southeast of Tehran province.
He emphasized the urgency of the situation, contrasting it with international standards. "This statistic is very dangerous, while outside Iran when there are 2-3 centimeters of subsidence, they hold emergency meetings," Pezeshkian said. "The danger is at Tehran's doorstep."
Pezeshkian called for a unified effort to address Tehran's multifaceted challenges, including education, infrastructure, and water management. "The problems of education, road and water development must be solved," he urged.
Iran’s water reserves have fallen to critical levels, accelerating the risk of shortages and forcing officials to consider rationing months before peak summer demand.
Tehran's water supply is critically strained as key dams plummet to record lows, worsening a nationwide drought. Latian and Mamlou dams are at 12% capacity, Lar at 1%, and Karaj at 7%. Nationwide rainfall is 82.9% of normal, and dam inflow is only 42%. Officials urge a 20% reduction in water use, as 19 provinces face water stress.
In a report on the state of stored water behind dams, the Ham-Mihan newspaper wrote last week: "The situation of the country's dams is so critical that water shortages and rationing will occur earlier than summer, and the state of Tehran's water resources has reached a crisis level unprecedented in recent years."
Last Friday, Tehran’s water and wastewater company, Abfa, announced that water consumption had spiked 20 percent, reaching a record 48,000 liters per second. Officials attributed the surge to preparations for the Iranian New Year.
According to Abfa, rainfall since the start of the current water year has been the lowest in 57 years. “Without additional rainfall, current reserves should meet demand for at least the next three months,” it said.
