Overview

• Tehran’s main reservoirs stand at roughly 21% capacity after a fifth consecutive year of drought and a 40% drop in rainfall
• Authorities have cut water pressure by half for around 80% of households in an emergency rationing move
• The government declared a one-day public holiday and is considering a week-long closure to curb urban water demand
• Experts warn the capital could exhaust municipal supplies and reach ‘day zero’ by the end of September without deeper cuts
• Chronic over-pumping of aquifers has caused parts of Tehran to sink over 10 inches a year and experts say systemic reforms are needed to avert irreversible damage