Iran’s Thirst: The Water Crisis Gripping the Nation and a Global Wake-Up Call
Iran’s water crisis has been dramatically worsened by one of the world’s most aggressive dam-building programs: over 600 large dams constructed since the 1960s at a cumulative cost exceeding $50 billion. What began under the Shah with projects like the Dez Dam (1963, $200 million) exploded after the 1979 Revolution, with presidents Rafsanjani (“Construction Commander”), Ahmadinejad, and Supreme Leader Khamenei’s IRGC driving the surge. Major dams such as Karkheh ($1.5B), Karun-3 and Karun-4 ($1B each), and the scandal-plagued Gotvand Dam (final cost $3.3B after doubling) were almost exclusively awarded to IRGC-linked conglomerates like Khatam al-Anbiya and Sepasad Engineering through no-bid contracts. These concrete giants promised hydropower and irrigation but instead trapped silt, triggered massive evaporation, salinized rivers, and disrupted natural groundwater recharge; experts now estimate they destroy five billion cubic meters of renewable water annually. The still-under-construction Bakhtiari Dam (world’s future tallest at 325 m, $2B) and dozens of others continue the trend, turning Iran’s dam legacy from a symbol of progress into a key architect of its current thirst.
