TEHRAN — Iran is experiencing a national water scarcity in 2025, marked by the depletion of lakes and dams along with rural water shortages. The World Resources Institute classifies Iran as facing high baseline water stress.
The nation uses more than 80 percent of its renewable water supplies annually. In 2025, Iran's population of 92 million consumed approximately 100 billion cubic meters of water. This consumption exceeded its renewable resources by approximately 13 billion cubic meters.
The decline in water resources has impacted bodies of water, including Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran. Lake Urmia covered nearly 6,000 square kilometers in the 1990s but now encompasses 581 square kilometers, representing less than 10 percent of its size from three decades prior. This reduction is attributed to consecutive droughts, agricultural water use, river diversion, and groundwater extraction. More than 60 dams were constructed on rivers that feed into the lake.
Agriculture accounts for approximately 91 percent of Iran's total water withdrawals. Households use about seven percent of water withdrawals, while industry accounts for approximately two percent. Satellite imagery shows declining water levels at Lar Dam, Latyan Dam, and Mamloo Dam, which are located around Tehran and the southern slopes of the Alborz mountains. These dams form part of the main water supply system for the Tehran metropolitan region. Similar imagery indicates declining water levels at the Zayandehrud Dam upstream from Isfahan, a city through which the Zayandehrud River flows.
Water scarcity has led to the abandonment of 31,000 villages out of Iran's 69,000 total, leaving 38,000 inhabited. Approximately 27,000 villages, home to more than 10 million people, are currently experiencing water shortages, according to a state utility. More than 70 percent of rural settlements face water shortages. Desalination facilities, mostly situated along the southern coast on the Persian Gulf, provide approximately three percent of Iran's total water supply. Approximately 75 percent of the population resides on less than 40 percent of the land area, concentrated primarily in the western region.