Iran's water emergency worsens amid heat and outages ^{CEFR B2}

Summer heat combined with widespread power outages has intensified Iran’s water emergency, prompting the government to close public offices in at least 12 provinces and to warn of a possible week-long nationwide shutdown to conserve energy, according to Iran Open Data. Longstanding drought warnings have focused on Lake Urmia, the Hur-Al-Azim Marshes, Hamun, Anzali Lagoon, Quru Gol, Bakhtegan and Zarivar.

As of 11 July 2025, official reports show sharp falls in dam reserves: for example, Karaj, Lar and Taleghan dams have seen large declines, and overall inflow to several dams totaled 22.4 billion cubic meters, a fall from the previous year. Only about 46 percent of dam capacity is currently full, well below last year’s level. Low rainfall (101 mm for the hydrological year), weak snow storage, high evaporation and excessive groundwater extraction are cited as key causes.

Groundwater depletion has accelerated land subsidence — in some urban areas the ground is sinking by up to 30 cm per year — and there are hundreds of thousands of legal and illegal wells. The Ministry of Energy says withdrawal should not exceed 48 billion cubic meters per year, but current rates exceed that. Tehran consumes far more water than the national average and may need deep cuts and rationing in 2025; experts warn that without structural reforms in agriculture and industry, greywater recycling and limits on urban expansion, severe rationing or other drastic measures may follow.