Iran's rainfall drops 45%, facing severe water crisis

Amid economic crisis and high inflation, Iran is facing severe water crisis.The situation is particularly critical in Tehran, where dam levels have fallen to just 17% of capacity, Firouz Ghasemzadeh, Iran's water sector spokesman, said on Sunday.as per Iran International report, a 45% drop in rainfall since last year and a 29% decrease in water flowing into dams compared to the five-year average have pushed Iran deeper into a water crisis.Iran is currently grappling with one of its most severe droughts in over half a century. The situation has prompted criticism of the Iranian government's environmental management.
Many regions of the country have been grappling with water shortages for more than a decade. Farmers have been periodically staging protests, demanding changes in government policies.Ghasemzadeh expressed particular concern about the state of dams in several provinces, including Tehran, where the five main dams are only 17% full—a 21% decrease compared to the five-year average. This shortage could have far-reaching effects on agriculture and food prices, especially with inflation averaging around 40% over the past five years.
Iran's water woes are compounded by several factors including regional politics, such as Afghanistan’s construction of the Pashdan Dam on the Harirud River. The dam, which significantly restricts water flow to Iran's eastern provinces, threatens over two million residents in Razavi Khorasan Province who rely on the river for drinking water.Additionally, the United Nations Water (UN-Water) has classified Iran as experiencing “extremely high-water stress” in its annual world water development report. The report highlights that Iran, along with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, faces critical water scarcity issues.