Iran has 'no choice' but to move its capital from Tehran, says Pezeshkian as water crisis deepens

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that the country is left with no choice but to move its capital from Tehran to the south, as the city expands in terms of population and water supply becomes meagre.

Pezeshkian said on Thursday that he had presented the proposal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last year. He acknowledged it had faced significant criticism but argued that Iran’s mounting resource crises were so severe that relocating the capital was no longer a choice, but a necessity.

“This region is located on the shores of the Persian Gulf and provides direct access to open waters and the development of trade and economic relations. If we have a different view of the capacities of this region, we can create a very prosperous and advanced region. It is not good enough to accept the current situation and not design a scientific, accurate and indigenous map for the future,” the president said.

“The problems the country is currently facing require us to direct the development path towards the Persian Gulf. Tehran, Karaj, and Qazvin are currently facing a water crisis, and this crisis cannot be easily solved,” he added.

Why is Tehran facing a water crisis?

Faced with resource mismanagement and over-consumption, Iran has faced recurrent electricity, gas and water shortages during peak demand months.

The country has faced drought conditions for the last five years, according to the director of the Environmental Protection Organisation, Sheena Ansari and the Meteorological Organisation recorded a 40 per cent drop in rainfall over the last four months compared to a long-term average.

Excessive water consumption represents a major challenge for water management in Iran, with the head of Tehran province’s water and wastewater company, Mohsen Ardakani, saying that 70 per cent of Tehran residents consume more than the standard 130 litres a day.

With inputs from agencies