Climate change, war and mismanagement are putting Iran’s water supply under major strain, experts have warned. The Middle Eastern country has faced years of intense drought, which scientists have found was made more intense due to human-caused climate change. In recent years, Iranian citizens have protested against the government’s management of water supplies, pointing the blame at decades of poor planning and shortsighted policies. As water supplies ran low, authorities warned last year that several of Iran’s major cities – including the capital, Tehran – could soon face “water day zero”, when a city’s water service is turned off and existing supplies rationed. Meanwhile, recent air strikes on desalination plants in Iran and Bahrain are driving wider questions about how the war might exacerbate water insecurity across the Middle East. One expert tells Carbon Brief the conflict is “straining an already-fragile [water] system” within Iran. In this article, Carbon Brief looks at how conflict is combining with climate change and unsustainable use to place pressure on Iran’s water supplies. How close are Iran’s major cities to a ‘water day zero’? What role is climate change playing? What other factors are involved? How could attacks on desalination plants impact water supplies in the Middle East? What policies could help Iran avoid a ‘water day zero’? How close are Iran’s major cities to a ‘water day zero’? Iran is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world and is currently in the grips of an unprecedented, multi-year drought. The country’s hot…
