New satellite data from Iran indicates a dramatic decline in snow cover across the country's highlands, fueling concerns about intensifying water shortages already impacting Tehran and other cities, ISNA reported on November 17.

According to the newly released statistics, the volume of snow recorded across the country is 98.6% lower than the same period in 2024 and 99.8% below the 20‑year average — figures that experts describe as “unprecedented decline.”

The sharp reduction in snowpack directly threatens inflows to dams and rivers, with implications for drinking water supplies in major cities during the summer. Officials warn of possible restrictions, pressure drops and even periodic cuts. Agriculture is also at risk, as diminished surface water could reduce cultivated areas and crop yields.

As surface resources dwindle, reliance on underground aquifers is expected to rise, increasing the danger of land subsidence, falling well discharge and the drying of qanats. Experts caution that reduced snow cover will also leave soils drier, accelerate erosion, create new dust hotspots and disrupt aquatic ecosystems and wildlife habitats.

The depletion of snow reserves severely undermines water sustainability, and if the trend continues, analysts warn of mounting water tensions, constraints on development and even population displacement in some regions.

Iran’s water reserves are already under unprecedented strain. Mohammad Javanbakht, Deputy Energy Minister and head of the Iran Water Resources Management Company, described the state of the country’s dams as “worrying,” noting that many of the main reservoirs supplying drinking water to cities are experiencing record low levels.

He reported that Kamal‑Saleh Dam, the source of Arak’s drinking water, has effectively run dry, while Tehran’s four principal dams have reached conditions unseen in their operational history.

Meanwhile, the Shahid Kazemi Dam in Boukan, which in wet years received more than 1bn cubic metres of inflow, has this year taken in only 307mn cubic metres. The Doosti Dam, a key source for Mashhad, is in a similar state, with its storage volume now below 5%.

Latest figures show that a significant number of dams currently hold only the minimum water required to maintain structural stability — volumes that play no role in supplying households, agriculture or industry.

Iranian scientists have concluded that Iran’s water resources face a precarious situation which, if prolonged, could have far‑reaching consequences for national water security.

They stress that managing the crisis will require meticulous planning, stronger infrastructure and stricter consumption policies. Without decisive action, the looming shortage is expected not only to intensify in the coming year but also to undermine the sustainable provision of drinking water, agriculture and urban development.

Across the country the situation of water resources appears to be heading into dangerous territory, with data from western provinces near Iraq also indicating that drought is the long term projection even during the winter period.

According to a new report by government-linked Tasnim News Agency on November 17 only 30% of Kurdistan province's dam capacity remains filled with water following five consecutive drought periods, the head of the province's Regional Water Company said.

Arash Arianzhad said the province, which spans three river basins, faces severe water stress in drinking water supply. Dam storage has fallen 25 percentage points from 55% in the previous water year, he said.

"After five consecutive drought periods, Kurdistan province unfortunately faces very severe water stress in drinking water supply," Arianzhad said.

The water year began in September, but precipitation has fallen short of requirements, with inflows to dams declining and reservoir volumes at their lowest levels, the Regional Water Company head said.

Rainfall has decreased 30% compared to the previous water year across the province, whilst some areas have experienced drops of 57% to 60%, Arianzhad said. He expressed hope that upcoming precipitation would compensate for some shortfalls.

The Iran-Iraq border town of Baneh faces particular challenges, with the Abbas-Abad and Baneh dams unable to provide 330,000 cubic metres of water for drinking supplies.

A water transfer project from Saqqez's Cheragh-Veys Dam to Baneh operates in three shifts to address the shortage in the shortest time possible, Arianzhad said.

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