Iran's ability to access fresh water is deteriorating, the government-run office of managing water supply said on Tuesday, adding that the capital Tehran faces a serious risk of land subsidence.
“The water crisis in Iran has gone far beyond the point of urgency and requires absolute full attention,” said Issa Bozorgzadeh, Iran's water industry spokesman.
“Subsidence is a direct consequence of excessive groundwater extraction, driven by poor management and lack of coordination,” Bozorgzadeh told the news website Payam-e Ma.
In May, a member of parliament warned that over-extraction of groundwater had caused land subsidence in 30 provinces, and that 66 percent of the country’s wetlands had turned into dust storm sources.
Environmental activists have long cautioned that Iran’s sprawling capital — home to nearly 10 million people — is highly vulnerable to water shortages due to inefficient infrastructure, leaky pipes and limited investment in modern conservation technologies.
Bozorgzadeh said Tehran’s municipality controls about 50 drinkable wells that should be connected to the city’s potable water network, while the rest should be sealed to help balance the aquifer.
Soudabeh Najafi, head of Tehran City Council’s Health Committee, said in May that subsidence in Tehran is estimated at 24 to 25 centimeters annually.
Tehran water authorities will cut supplies for 12 hours to households deemed heavy consumers who ignore three official warnings, a senior utility official said on Tuesday, as the capital faces its worst drought in more than a century.
Iran’s meteorological organization says the country has faced an almost continuous drought for more than two decades, with rainfall sharply reduced this year and snowpack levels at historic lows.
