Climate Change Drives Mass Migration in Iran
Government Mismanagement and Rapid Population Growth Exacerbate Crisis
- Record temperatures, prolonged droughts, and the drying up of rivers and lakes are displacing tens of thousands of Iranians each year, with many migrating from rural areas to urban centers.
- The Iranian government has blamed the worsening water scarcity and rising desertification on climate change, but experts argue that government mismanagement and rapid population growth have exacerbated the crisis.
- Around 42,000 people were forced to migrate in 2022 due to the effects of climate change, including drought, sand and dust storms, floods, and natural disasters.
- Iran is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change in the Middle East, which is warming at twice the global average.
- Climate migration is putting a strain on infrastructure and creating socioeconomic problems in Iranian cities, including rising poverty, homelessness, and overcrowding.
RFE/RL 
