Iran is confronting a severe water governance crisis, with experts warning that structural mismanagement and unsustainable use threaten the country’s future. A recent symposium on water resources revealed widespread institutional weaknesses, over-extraction and the urgent need for reform.
Farzam Pourasghar, former head of the Sustainable Development Group at Iran’s Plan and Budget Organization, said the elimination of market mechanisms from water allocation is the country’s biggest structural error. Renewable water resources have fallen from 130 billion cubic meters in past decades to around 66 billion this year, while groundwater extraction has exceeded 160 billion cubic meters—equivalent to five times Lake Urmia’s volume. With 422 of 699 basins in critical condition, he described the situation as an acute crisis.
Pourasghar emphasized that centralization and poor coordination between the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Agriculture have left local communities excluded from decision-making. He recommended artificial groundwater recharge, decentralization, reduction of agricultural waste and reforms in laws and public education to redefine Iran’s development path.
Mohsen Mousavi Khansari, a water governance researcher, highlighted the need for integrated water management and fair distribution, stressing that even modest improvements in agriculture efficiency could reduce water demand. He also urged relocating population and investment away from central regions like Tehran and Isfahan to water-rich coastal areas to relieve pressure on scarce resources.
Hossein Karami, deputy for spatial planning at the Plan and Budget Organization, argued that water should be treated as an economic good. Market-based pricing and spatial planning are essential to curb excessive consumption, while unchecked population concentration and industrial use in arid areas worsen scarcity.
The symposium concluded that Iran’s water crisis is both environmental and structural. Experts agreed that immediate reforms—including decentralization, local engagement, market-based allocation and population redistribution—are critical. Without urgent action, Iran risks not only environmental degradation but also long-term threats to development and national security.
