Iran's Water Crisis

 Newsweek reports that Iran is in the midst of a deepening water crisis, writing:

    The capital's reserves from nearby dams have plunged to historic lows, threatening millions of residents. Masoud Pezeshkian, the country's president, recently warned that without urgent conservation, Tehran could face severe shortages in the coming weeks.

    "There won't be any water in dams by September or October" if consumption is not reduced, Pezeshkian said.   

 The article explains:

    Record heat, little rainfall and decades of mismanagement have pushed Iran to the brink of an environmental breaking point. Nationwide, the disappearance of vital water sources threatens agriculture, undermines electricity production and worsens air quality—placing both the environment and public health in jeopardy.

    The fallout could even extend beyond Iran's borders, affecting regional food supplies and trade.

And it indicates that "The Amir Kabir Dam, also known as the Karaj Dam, about 39 miles northwest of Tehran, is a vital source of drinking water for the capital and an agricultural lifeline ... now contains just six percent of its usable volume." The Lar Dam, which the article says supplies parts of eastern and northern Tehran, has fallen below 10 percent of its capacity. And "[i]n northwestern Iran, Lake Urmia—the world's second-largest hypersaline lake—is now experiencing an unprecedented decline in water levels and could potentially dry up this year."

    Iranian news sources indicate that Tehran has been suffering land subsidence as ground water is used up, and "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[.]" Israel, meanwhile, has offered to help Iran if it replaces its leadership, suggesting that it will flood the country with experts and provide assistance to repair and build infrastructure and build desalination plants (I wonder who would really be footing that bill). But "Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offer to help the country deal with its water crisis, saying he should first address the situation in Gaza."