Iran faces one of the most complex environmental crises in the region: a severe shortage of groundwater that hits cities, farms and rural communities. Reporting and official documents point to a hidden factor — military and security institutions bypassing rules to drill unauthorized wells.
Official and academic reports say a significant portion of illegal groundwater extraction is carried out by entities with legal or regulatory immunity, notably the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated companies. Environmental activists say a large share of the unauthorized wells belongs to these actors, though that claim has not been independently verified.
Iran’s Geological Survey reported that hundreds of plains are in a critical or prohibited state because of water stress, and past official figures noted many unauthorized wells nationwide. Provinces such as Isfahan, Yazd, Qom and Semnan have seen villages abandoned after sharp groundwater declines. The silence of oversight bodies has helped normalise the practice and worsened ecological collapse.
Difficult words
- groundwater — Water under the earth that people use.
- unauthorized — Done without official permission or approval.
- immunity — Legal protection from normal rules or laws.
- extraction — The act of taking something out, here water.
- oversight — Official supervision to check rules are followed.
- collapse — A sudden failure or breakdown of a system.
- province — Large administrative areas within a country.Provinces
- affiliated — Connected to or officially linked with another group.
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Discussion questions
- How might the loss of groundwater affect daily life in the cities and villages named in the article?
- What actions could oversight bodies take to reduce illegal drilling and protect water supplies?
- Should claims about the role of powerful institutions in illegal drilling be investigated further? Why or why not?
