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New satellite images illustrate the scale of Iran’s worsening water crisis. They show significant declines in Tehran’s key drinking water reservoirs, including Lake Urmia, once a thriving inland sea.
The capital’s reserves from nearby dams have plummeted to historic lows, threatening millions of residents. President Masoud Pezeshkian recently warned that without urgent conservation measures, Tehran could face severe shortages within weeks.
“There won’t be any water in the dams by September or October” if consumption is not reduced, Pezeshkian said. Iran’s Foreign Ministry has not yet commented.
Record heat, minimal rainfall, and decades of mismanagement have pushed Iran to a critical environmental brink. The disappearance of vital water sources threatens agriculture, disrupts electricity production, and worsens air quality—posing significant risks to the environment and public health.
The crisis extends beyond Iran’s borders, potentially affecting regional food supplies and trade.
### **Amir Kabir Dam**
The Amir Kabir Dam, also known as the Karaj Dam, about 39 miles northwest of Tehran, is a critical source of drinking water for the capital and an agricultural lifeline. The reservoir, designed to hold over 200 million cubic meters, now contains just six percent of its usable volume.
Satellite images from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellites show a stark reduction in surface area between August 2020 and August 2025, highlighting the rapid decline.
### **Lar Dam**
Suppling parts of eastern and northern Tehran, the Lar Dam has fallen below 10 percent of its 960 million cubic meter capacity. Imagery comparing recent years shows large areas of dry lakebed where water once stood.
The loss of this key reserve comes at a time when Tehran traditionally depends on Lar, Amir Kabir, and nearby Latian reservoirs for most of its drinking water, placing the capital at unprecedented risk.
### **Lake Urmia**
In northwestern Iran, Lake Urmia—the world’s second-largest hypersaline lake—is experiencing an unprecedented decline in water levels. The Environmental Protection Organization reports that the situation is so dire they have no numbers to report. Persistently high temperatures, rapid evaporation, low rainfall, and thousands of unauthorized wells have severely depleted surrounding aquifers.
Officials warn that Lake Urmia could vanish by the end of summer, unleashing toxic salt storms that trigger mass wildlife die-offs and worsen respiratory illnesses in nearby populations.
### **What People Are Saying**
**Fatemeh Mohajerani, Iranian government spokesperson:** “We must solve the issue of energy imbalance in water and electricity…with the help of the people themselves, through saving and managing consumption.”
**Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian president:** “In Tehran, if we cannot manage and people do not cooperate in controlling consumption, there won’t be any water in dams by September or October.”
### **What Happens Next**
With critical reservoirs near Tehran at record lows, time is running out to prevent long-term damage. Officials are enacting emergency measures while urging citizens to conserve water and electricity to help manage the shortages.
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