Water, Corruption, and Security in Iran

Jan 23, 2024 | Eleanor Greenbaum
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This past summer was the hottest on record, bringing devastating impacts to many global communities. Iran was one of many nations that faced both debilitating heat and the subsequent water stress.

While Iran’s problems received significant media attention this year, water scarcity in the country is not a new problem. For decades, corruption and poor planning have plagued Iranian water policy, with impacts falling upon its increasingly disadvantaged provinces and, ultimately, on its ethnic minorities. Poor water policy also has contributed to an increasing number of cross-border disputes.

These issues that have plagued Iranian water policy throughout its history will continue to pose challenges to its population and exacerbate its national security concerns as domestic and international tensions deepen and the climate crisis progresses.