Overview

• Tehran’s reservoir levels have fallen below 20% capacity, prompting warnings of a complete dry-out by October.
• Authorities have instituted rotating 24- to 48-hour water shutoffs across the capital and more than 50 other cities to enforce steep demand cuts.
• The government shortened the workweek to four days and closed public facilities in a bid to reduce urban consumption.
• Experts blame decades of inefficient irrigation, groundwater overpumping and heavy water subsidies for eroding the country’s water security.
• Parliament is considering long-term reforms such as drip irrigation, crop shifts and costly desalination projects despite funding challenges under international sanctions.