Water Crisis Looms In Iran

By Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL

Several bodies of water in Iran have either shrunk or dried up as the result of drought and water diverted for agricultural purposes. (file photo)

Negin (not her real name) is doing her part to avert a major water shortage in Tehran this summer.

The 35-year-old mother of two is taking official calls to be economical when it comes to water use -- and warnings that supplies in the Iranian capital could be restricted if the calls are not heeded -- very seriously.

"If I have dirty water from washing the clothes, I use it to wash the floors," she says. "I've also taught my children to be mindful of their water usage when they brush their teeth."

Negin does what she can to conserve water, but she wonders if it is a futile exercise.

"Most people waste water," she says of her fellow Tehran residents. "Just the other day I saw a man washing the sidewalk in front of his house and letting water run from the hose."

Warnings about water shortages are nothing new to Iranians, whose country is located in an arid and semi-arid region with little rainfall and frequent droughts.

This year, however, officials have said the problem is particularly dire, warning that water shortages could affect up to half of the country's population of 75 million.

Climate change, population growth, mismanagement, wasteful irrigation practices, and the depletion of groundwater resources are among the reasons cited for the worsening situation not just in Tehran, but throughout Iran.