Tehran’s primary drinking-water source, the Amir Kabir Dam, has fallen to 14 million cubic metres — just 8% of capacity — prompting officials to warn it could run out in about two weeks. The capital, home to over 10 million people, uses roughly three million cubic metres of water daily and has faced frequent outages and neighbourhood cuts. Authorities cite an unprecedented regional drought, while the wider region, including Iraq, is also suffering severe water shortages. Officials have announced water-saving measures, but uncertainty remains about other reservoirs that serve the city.
Tehran’s Main Reservoir at 8% Capacity — Amir Kabir Dam Could Run Dry in Two Weeks, Officials Warn
Tehran’s primary drinking-water source, the Amir Kabir Dam, has fallen to 14 million cubic metres — just 8% of capacity — prompting officials to warn it could run out in about two weeks. The capital, home to over 10 million people, uses roughly three million cubic metres of water daily and has faced frequent outages and neighbourhood cuts. Authorities cite an unprecedented regional drought, while the wider region, including Iraq, is also suffering severe water shortages. Officials have announced water-saving measures, but uncertainty remains about other reservoirs that serve the city.
23:19, 02.11.2025Environment
Tehran faces an urgent water crisis as Amir Kabir Dam nears depletion
The Amir Kabir Dam — one of five reservoirs supplying drinking water to Iran’s capital — holds just 14 million cubic metres of water, about 8% of its capacity, officials told state media. Behzad Parsa, director of Tehran’s water company, warned that at that level the dam could continue to supply the city for "two weeks."
The announcement comes amid what authorities describe as Iran’s worst drought in decades. Local officials have said rainfall in Tehran province has been "nearly without precedent for a century," and Parsa noted the dam held roughly 86 million cubic metres a year ago.
Tehran, a megacity of more than 10 million people, sits below the snow-capped Alborz Mountains, whose rivers feed multiple reservoirs. Iranian media estimate the city consumes about three million cubic metres of water daily. Parsa did not provide detailed figures for the other reservoirs in the system, leaving uncertainty about the broader supply outlook.
Water-saving measures have already been imposed: supplies to multiple neighbourhoods have reportedly been cut in recent days and outages were frequent over the summer. In July and August authorities declared two public holidays to conserve water and energy, while rolling power cuts accompanied a heatwave that pushed temperatures above 40°C (104°F) in Tehran and past 50°C (122°F) in some areas.
"The water crisis is more serious than what is being discussed today," President Masoud Pezeshkian warned.
Water scarcity is a broader national problem, particularly in arid southern provinces, and is attributed by officials and analysts to a combination of management issues, overexploitation of groundwater, and climate change. The crisis stretches beyond Iran: neighbouring Iraq is experiencing its driest year since 1993, with Tigris and Euphrates river levels down by as much as 27%, contributing to a severe humanitarian situation in southern Iraq.
What to watch next: updated reservoir levels for the other four dams serving Tehran, any expansion of rationing or emergency water imports, and government contingency plans for a sustained supply shortfall.