Tehran, the capital of Iran, is facing a water crisis so severe that Iran’s president has warned that residents may eventually need to evacuate. Weeks have passed without any rain, and uncertainty is growing.
Officials fear the city—a metropolis of roughly 15 million people—could run out of water entirely. Earlier this month, President Masoud Pezeshkian said rationing would begin if Tehran doesn’t see rainfall by December, adding that continued drought could force residents to leave. Experts widely agree that evacuation on such a scale is unrealistic, but the warning underscores just how dire the situation has become.
But the crisis extends far beyond the capital. About 20 provinces have yet to see any rain since the rainy season began in late September, according to Mohsen B. Mesgaran, an associate professor at the University of California, Davis.
Water shortages are becoming a global concern as climate change, population growth, and poor resource management place increasing pressure on limited supplies. The UN warns that nearly 40% of the world’s population could face significant water stress by 2040, particularly in vulnerable regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
Still, experts say solutions exist. The future of water is in our hands and it's not too late to take action. From crisis zones to clever solutions, click through the following gallery to discover how the world is navigating its water future.