Tehran’s main water reservoir has enough supply for less than two weeks, a senior official warned on Sunday, as prolonged drought and plunging rainfall leave the capital facing one of its worst shortages in decades.
Behzad Parsa, head of Tehran Regional Water Company, told IRNA that the Amir Kabir Dam now holds just 14 million cubic meters of water -- only 8% of its capacity, down from 86 million cubic meters a year ago.
He said water inflow to Tehran’s dams has fallen 43% from last year due to a “100% drop in rainfall” compared to long-term averages.
Parsa urged residents to cut consumption, warning that without “urgent conservation and changes in usage patterns,” the city could face serious challenges in providing safe drinking water to millions of people.
Iran’s deepening water crisis has reached a critical point in Isfahan, where officials warn the city could run out of drinking water within weeks.
Once sustained by the Zayandehrud River, the city now faces near-empty reservoirs and severe groundwater depletion after years of drought, mismanagement, and unchecked extraction.
The crisis reflects a broader national emergency: rainfall has dropped up to 45% below seasonal averages, and 19 major dams are below 20% of capacity.
