Iran’s lakes are vanishing: Satellite images show a deepening water crisis
Summary
Iran is facing a severe water crisis caused by years of drought, high water use, and damage to water infrastructure. This crisis has caused lakes and reservoirs, like Lake Urmia, to shrink dramatically and has forced many rural residents to leave their villages due to lack of water.Key Facts
- Iran suffers from extreme water stress, using more than 80% of its renewable water each year.
- Lake Urmia, once the largest saltwater lake in the Middle East, has shrunk to less than 10% of its size from the 1990s due to drought, water diversion, and evaporation.
- Iran’s water consumption in 2025 exceeded renewable supplies by nearly 13 billion cubic meters.
- Agriculture uses about 91% of Iran’s water, but inefficient irrigation wastes much of it.
- Many dams near Tehran, including Lar, Latyan, and Mamloo, have seen water levels drop sharply due to drought and high demand.
- About 31,000 villages in Iran have been abandoned because of water scarcity.
- Currently, 27,000 villages with over 10 million people face water shortages.
- Water problems are causing migration from rural areas to major cities like Tehran and Mashhad.
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