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Iranwire – While spring rains brought some relief, water scarcity remains a serious concern for several Iranian provinces.
Isa Bozorgzadeh, spokesperson for the Water Organization, highlighted provinces facing “critical” water conditions this summer despite increased reservoir levels.
These include North Khorasan, Alborz, Gilan, Chaharmahal Bakhtiari, Fars, Bushehr, Zanjan, Semnan, Khorasan Razavi, Tehran, and Qazvin.
Iran’s Energy Ministry reports that national dam reservoir levels have exceeded 32 billion cubic meters, with a national average fill rate of 65 per cent. However, 35 per cent of dams remain empty.
While national water storage has increased by 400 million cubic meters year-on-year, Tehran’s situation is particularly concerning.
The capital’s five dams face a 5 per cent decrease in water compared to last spring, with total reserves at just 26 per cent capacity.
This necessitates a 15 per cent increase in water conservation efforts by Tehran residents.
Bozorgzadeh also pointed to Bandar Abbas’s Esteghlal Dam, with water reserves down 52 per cent despite partial recovery from spring rains.
Other dams in the region, like Serni, also face water shortages.
Despite these challenges, Bozorgzadeh assures that there are adequate drinking water supplies in Sistan and Baluchistan province due to “very good rains.”
Concerns about water rationing rose after Tehran’s water authority informed residents via SMS of a 75-litre per person water reserve.
Reza Haj Karim, head of the Iranian Water Industry Federation, clarified that the message aimed to manage pressure on the city’s ageing water network, not necessarily to implement rationing.
