Iran Faces Severe Water Crisis as Dam Reservoir Levels Plummet

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iran’s dam reservoirs are facing alarming declines, with official figures from the Iranian Water Resources Management Company showing that water storage stood at around 21 billion cubic meters as of August 16—down 25 percent from more than 28 billion cubic meters at the same time last year.

The volume of water flowing into the country’s dams has also dropped sharply. Since September 22, 2024, inflows have totaled 23.81 billion cubic meters, compared to 40.89 billion cubic meters during the same period last year—a staggering 42 percent decrease.

The crisis has hit some regions harder than others. Several reservoirs, including the Shimil and Nyan dams in Hormozgan Province, the Rudbal dam in Fars, and the Washmgir dam in Golestan, have completely dried up. The Lar Dam near Tehran currently holds just 5 percent of its capacity. Similarly, the Dosti and Toroq dams in Razavi Khorasan Province are at 5 and 6 percent, the Khordad 15 Dam in Qom at 8 percent, the Istiqlal and Sarnay dams in Hormozgan at 3 and 13 percent, and the Sawa Dam in Markazi at only 7 percent.

Overall, just 10 percent of Iran’s 12 major dams—critical sources of drinking water and irrigation—still retain usable reserves.

Experts cite reduced rainfall as a key factor. Since the start of the rainy season, Iran has received about 147 millimeters of precipitation, 39 percent below the long-term average and 40 percent less than last year.

Industrial expansion and heavy agricultural consumption have deepened the strain on water supplies. Large industrial hubs have been built in arid regions with limited resources, while official statistics show that agriculture consumes nearly seven times more water than is sustainably available.