Iran’s capital, Tehran, continues to face the danger of water scarcity with its agricultural sector, urban water and wastewater infrastructure, and social and political stability under constant risk. Confronted with climate change and mismanagement, Tehran faces a dangerous predicament that departs from its food insecurity and economic power. Tehran’s continuous expansion through urbanization explains the growing disparity between water accessibility and demand, which causes urban water scarcity to rise continuously. Despite the tenets of urbanization, the water scarcity crisis requires a timely solution to handle the underlying causes and their consequences and offer a sustainable solution that will achieve cooperation that would preserve the well-being and prosperity of Tehran’s citizens.
Factors Influencing Tehran’s Water Shortage
Excessive Population
Tehran’s population has been subject to elevated levels of growth in recent years, majorly triggered by internal migration and natural population increase. In 2024, according to the estimates, Tehran’s population is 9,616,007, which is much higher than the number of people living in Tehran in 1950, which was 1,041,349 (World Population Review, 2024). The increasing population explains the higher demands for water by the domestic, industrial, and agricultural sectors, which overwhelm the capacity of the original facilities and push the water shortage to its limit. (World Population Review, 2024). As Sorensen and Okata (2011) explain, the population growth rate by mean change of 1.22% annually presents continuous pressure on water resources in Tehran. These population estimates explain the challenges that the country continues to face, which calls for a conclusive solution.
Weak Governance
Political governance also remains a critical factor that challenges water provision in Tehran. Grossly contradictory public administration systems, red tape, and fraud impede the decision-making process and the implementation of the policies. The inter-agency coordination is, therefore, an issue, and the insufficient investment in drinking water infrastructure could worsen the problem (Tamer, 2018). In addition, poor enforcement and limited water conservation measures lead to an aggregation of problems regarding water scarcity (Tamer, 2018). Poor governance emphasizes the state where a long period of unsatisfactory water management and use of water for irrigation has already caused dissatisfaction; it implies that tensions will grow as water scarcity becomes more prevalent, unlike in previous years.
Climate Change
Climate change intensifies Tehran’s water crisis, which is engineered by the alteration of precipitation and the diminishment of the amount of water available. Decreasing rainfall, along with the increase in temperatures, results in the depletion of the reservoirs and the aquifers (Mousavi et al., 2020). The variability of rainfall makes the water supply unstable and poses a challenge to manage the water resources without getting the means to retain them (Mousavi et al., 2020). Moreover, water stress is aggravated by climate change events such as droughts and heatwaves that are occurring more frequently while decreasing the productivity of the agricultural field, thus escalating the socioeconomic disparity (Mousavi et al., 2020). As the season progresses, the complexities become profound due to climate-related factors, calling for urgent measures to reverse the challenges facing the citizens.
Effects of Water Shortage on Urban Life
Social Economic Development
Water scarcity as a consequence of urbanization presents a significant impact on socioeconomic development by causing labor to move from urban to rural areas, thus affecting essential growth for the economy (Craiova et al., 2023). Moreover, the scarcity of water in the Iran capital results in adverse effects on agricultural activities such as farming, which implies food instability and economic hardship; it exacerbates the already challenging situation (Israilova, 2023). The aftermath of all these challenges is low production and economic concerns for farmers and consumers, accompanied by the increasing problem, which lowers productivity (Israilova et al., 2023). The existing facts offer an accurate picture of how this issue remains pressing to forge for more equitable social and economic development.
Health
Water scarcityin Tehran, which is spearheaded by urbanization, along with the threat of climate change, has caused significant health complications. The rising temperature and the exaggerated weather patterns imply poor quality of air, thus increasing the risk of developing respiratory illnesses (Mousavi et al., 2020). Noteworthy, Tehran, the capital city of Iran, is among the top ten polluted megacities globally; approximately 4000-5000 residents die due to air pollution annually (Mousavi et al., 2020). Statistical research stated that 14% of days long in 2004 in Tehran were polluted, and the rate of COPD included in this figure was 26%. Similarly, water shortage augments the risk of waterborne diseases, with clean water remaining a mirage (Mousavi et al., 2020). Vector-borne diseases are also pandemic in zones with inefficient domestic water and sanitation. The continuous problems also lead to residents’ mental deterioration due to stress and uncertainty connected with the water shortage and climate-related dangers.
Environment
Growing rates of urbanization in Tehran have continued environmental issues engineered by water scarcity due to increased demand for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes, leading to unsustainable outcomes. As climate change shrinks the water supply, the constant growth of population and water consumption by people intensifies such demand at the same time, creating a significant gap between supply and demand, which leads to environmental pressure (Israilova et al., 2023). Densification patterns under sprawl development increase the frequency and intensity of severe water shortage incidents with those of high-density regions damaging the environment in search of water (Heidari et al., 2021). Sprawl expansion is projected to double the monthly water shortage in the middle of the century, representing the need for urban planning incorporating sustainability and water management approaches.
Solutions to Address Challenges
The solution to these challenges will involve the promotion of management and legislation in Tehran and Iran in general. Strengthening administration and applying clear water management policies are definitely necessary to bolster the water supply for Tehran. According to Israilova et al. (2023), it should be supplemented with increasing institutional capacity, and growing accountability and transparency are crucial steps to elevate water governance and facilitate responsible use of water resources. Given the variety of challenges, comprising climate-dependent diseases in Iran country as well as the growth of acute and chronic health diseases as a result of climate change, there is a necessity to create national planning that will accommodate both mitigation and adaptation processes to minimize the health effects of climate change (Israilova et al., 2023). Vigorous policy-making is affected, making the strategies implementable and result-oriented.
On the other hand, research and development are crucial to solving water scarcity in a long-term setting. Water scarcity studies envisioned think tanks and universities receiving funding to assess the various effects of water scarcity and the origination of novel solutions. It comprises the development of water-saving gadgets, plans to minimize the impacts of climate change, and advertising of what is environmentally friendly in farm practices (Israilova et al., 2023). Besides, amid climate change consequences, the infrastructure that withstands these challenges and community adaption should remain a priority (Israilova et al., 2023). Communities should increase their capability to withstand the unpredictable water availability through reliable infrastructure for the supply, storage, and distribution of water.
Conclusion
The critical situation of Tehran’s water scarcity requires regulatory agencies, all stakeholders, and help from outside parties to make rapid decisions and implement them. There is a need to address the primary reasons behind water shortage, such as population pressure, poor governance, and climate change, through sustainable solutions. The solutions will require establishing cooperative relationships with different stakeholders and creating meaningful partnerships. Even as Tehran attempts to handle this issue, water management has to be made an immediate action, followed by adaptation to climate change. The clarion call remains that access to water resources should be made a fair and equal duty for all.
References
Heidari, H., Arabi, M., Warziniack, T., & Sharvelle, S. (2021). Effects of urban development patterns on municipal water shortage. Frontiers in Water, 3, 694817. DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2021.694817
Israilova, E., Voronina, A., & Shatila, K. (2023). Impact of water scarcity on socioeconomic development. In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 458, p. 08027). EDP Sciences. DOI:10.1051/e3sconf/202345808027
Mousavi, A., Ardalan, A., Takian, A., Ostadtaghizadeh, A., Naddafi, K., & Bavani, A. M. (2020). Climate change and health in Iran: a narrative review. Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering, 18, 367-378. DOI: 10.1007/s40201-020-00462-3
Sorensen, A., & Okata, J. (2011). Introduction: Megacities, urban form, and sustainability. Megacities: Urban form, governance, and sustainability, 1-12. DOI: 10.1007/978-4-431-99267-7_1
Tamer, B. (2018). Iran’s Water Problem. https://carnegieendowment.org/sada/77935#:~:text=Such%20sociopolitical%20pressures%20are%20likely,percent%20of%20Iran’s%20drinkable%20water.
World Population Review. (2024). Tehran Population 2024. https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/tehran-population
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