Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that excessive water consumption in the country is unsustainable and that if urgent measures are not taken, the capital Tehran could go into water regime as early as September. This was reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
“If we do not act effectively and people do not cooperate in limiting overconsumption, there may be no water left in the dams by September or October“, Pezeshkian said.
Iran faces chronic problems with natural resource management, and the water crisis is being exacerbated by a five-year severe drought. According to the Meteorological Department, rainfall in the past four months has been 40% below the long-term average. Environmental Protection Organization Director Shina Ansari stressed that “neglecting sustainable development has led to environmental disasters such as the current water shortage.”
Overuse remains a serious problem. 70% of Tehran residents exceed the standard of 130 liters of water per day, said Mohsen Adakani of the city’s water and sanitation company. The largest consumer is the agricultural sector, which absorbs about 80% of the country’s water resources.
President Pezeshkian rejected a proposal to introduce a national holiday or summer vacation as a temporary measure to reduce consumption. "Shutting down the country will not solve the problem, it will only sweep it under the carpet," he said.
Such crises have already caused social tensions; in the summer of 2021, protests broke out in southwestern Iran over water shortages.