Iran’s Water and Power Crisis Deepens Amid Government Mismanagement and Public Outrage – National Council of Resistance of Iran – NCRI

 

Report on Iran’s Compounding Water and Energy Crisis in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

Iran is currently experiencing a severe and escalating crisis related to water scarcity, power infrastructure failure, and extreme heat. The government’s response has been characterized by short-term, superficial measures and a deflection of responsibility, failing to address systemic mismanagement. This situation represents a significant setback for the nation’s progress toward several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), leading to widespread economic disruption and public discontent.

II. Critical Failures in Achieving SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

A. Nationwide Water Scarcity and Drought

The crisis directly contravenes the objectives of SDG 6, which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The situation is defined by the following factors:

• Widespread Water Stress: A spokesperson for the Water Industry has confirmed that 24 provinces are experiencing water stress, with the most critical situations in Tehran and Alborz provinces, which are home to over 20 million people. Other major cities, including Isfahan, Arak, and Tabriz, also face severe shortages.
• Prolonged Drought: The country is in its fifth consecutive year of drought.
• Depleted Water Resources: National rainfall is 40% below the average of the previous year, and water inflow to the nation’s dams has decreased by 43%. Over 50% of the country’s dam capacity is now empty, with some reservoirs in provinces like Hormozgan reported as completely dry.

B. Inequitable Water Access and Public Health Concerns

The mismanagement of water resources has led to severe inequalities in access, impacting public health and well-being (SDG 3). In Bushehr, for example, residents reportedly receive water for only two hours in a 48-hour period, despite temperatures of 48°C and high humidity. This rationing severely compromises basic sanitation and hygiene.

III. Setbacks for SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

A. Energy Infrastructure Failure and Power Outages

Frequent and unannounced power outages across the country demonstrate a failure to provide reliable and sustainable energy, a core target of SDG 7. The consequences include:

• Disruption of Essential Services: In cities like Rasht, power cuts early in the workday paralyze commercial activities, including bakeries and shops.
• Economic Losses: Business owners in Mashhad report significant financial losses due to extended blackouts, forcing a reliance on inefficient and costly generators. A baker reported having to discard large quantities of spoiled product, highlighting the direct economic impact on small enterprises.

These failures undermine the principles of SDG 8 by creating an unstable economic environment and threatening livelihoods.

B. Inadequate Governmental Response

The government’s primary response has been to declare public holidays and shorten working hours to reduce energy consumption. These measures fail to address the root causes of infrastructure decay and do not offer a sustainable solution to the energy deficit.

IV. Governance Deficiencies and Contradiction of SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

A. Systemic Mismanagement and Lack of Accountability

The crisis is exacerbated by governance failures that conflict with the principles of accountability and transparency central to SDG 16.

1. Deflection of Blame: Authorities attribute the crisis to “bad consumer behavior,” despite official data showing that residential use accounts for only 6-10% of total water consumption. The majority is consumed by inefficient agricultural and industrial sectors, which are often linked to state-affiliated interests.
2. Punitive Measures: Instead of systemic reform, authorities have resorted to punitive actions, such as suspending water services to over 47,000 households in Tehran, while ignoring larger issues like illegal well-drilling and unsustainable infrastructure projects.
3. Official Acknowledgment of Failure: A spokesperson for the Water Industry acknowledged the validity of criticism regarding a lack of proper metering and accountability, stating, “I acknowledge this shortcoming.”

B. Rising Public Dissent

The government’s inability to manage the crisis has led to growing public anger and protests in cities such as Mashhad, Rasht, and Tehran. This erosion of public trust undermines social cohesion and moves the country further from the peaceful and inclusive society envisioned in SDG 16.

V. Environmental Degradation and Neglect of SDG 15: Life on Land

A. Ecological Catastrophe at Lake Urmia

The crisis extends to critical ecosystems, representing a severe violation of SDG 15, which calls for the protection of terrestrial ecosystems. Officials have warned that Lake Urmia is on the verge of completely drying up, with a significant portion of its northern basin reduced to a water depth of just 4-5 centimeters.

B. Unsustainable Development Practices

This environmental disaster is a direct consequence of decades of poor policy choices, including:

• The diversion and draining of rivers that feed vital ecosystems.
• The construction of numerous dams without adequate environmental impact assessments.
• A consistent prioritization of short-term economic and political gains over long-term ecological sustainability.

VI. Conclusion: A Looming National Emergency

Iran’s interconnected water, energy, and environmental crises, compounded by inadequate governance, signal a national emergency with far-reaching implications. The current trajectory indicates a rapid decline in the country’s ability to provide basic services, protect its natural resources, and ensure economic stability. This comprehensive failure to address root causes places the achievement of fundamental Sustainable Development Goals—including SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)—in serious jeopardy, risking a broader political and humanitarian crisis.

1. Relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• The article extensively discusses a severe water crisis in Iran, including critical shortages in numerous cities and provinces. It highlights the lack of access to sufficient water for residents, with some receiving water for only a few hours every two days. This directly connects to the goal of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water for all.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• The issue of “repeated and unannounced blackouts” and “power outages” is a central theme. The article describes how these power cuts disrupt daily life, cripple businesses, and affect essential services, which relates to the goal of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The crisis is framed within urban contexts, mentioning cities like Tehran, Mashhad, Rasht, and Isfahan. The failure to provide basic services like consistent water and electricity to millions of urban dwellers makes cities less safe, resilient, and sustainable.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• The article links the crisis to a “fifth consecutive year of drought” and an extreme “heatwave.” This points to the need to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters, a core component of SDG 13.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• The article mentions a specific ecological catastrophe: “Lake Urmia is on the brink of drying out completely.” This, along with the draining of rivers and unsustainable water extraction, relates to the goal of protecting and restoring terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The crisis is attributed to “government mismanagement,” “infrastructure neglect,” “systemic corruption,” and a lack of accountability. The government’s response of deflecting blame and offering “cosmetic measures” instead of policy changes points to a failure of effective, accountable, and transparent institutions.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The power outages are shown to have direct economic consequences. The article cites business owners losing “hours of work” and a baker being “forced to throw away large quantities of ruined bread,” illustrating how infrastructure failure undermines economic productivity.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• The article discusses the inefficient use of resources, noting that the majority of water is consumed by “inefficient agriculture and wasteful industrial practices.” It also provides a specific example of food waste (“ruined bread”) caused by production disruptions, which connects to the goal of ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns.

2. Specific SDG Targets

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

1. Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
   • The article shows this target is not being met, citing an MP from Bushehr who stated that “some residents receive just two hours of water every 48 hours.”
2. Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity.
   • The article highlights failures in this area by stating that the majority of water is used by “inefficient agriculture and wasteful industrial practices” and that “24 provinces are under water stress.”

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

1. Target 7.1: By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.
   • The “repeated and unannounced blackouts” across cities like Mashhad and Rasht directly contradict the goal of providing reliable energy services.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

1. Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services.
   • The widespread water and power cuts in major cities like Tehran, which is home to over 20 million people along with Alborz, demonstrate a failure to provide basic services to urban populations.
2. Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses…caused by disasters, including water-related disasters.
   • The water and power crisis is presented as a disaster affecting a large population and causing direct economic losses, such as a baker having to “throw away large quantities of ruined bread.”

SDG 15: Life on Land

1. Target 15.1: By 2030, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services.
   • The article provides a clear example of failure to meet this target by stating that “Lake Urmia is on the brink of drying out completely” as a result of “decades of ecological mismanagement.”

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

1. Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
   • The article attributes the crisis to “government mismanagement,” “systemic corruption,” and “deflect[ing] blame.” An official’s admission, “Your criticism is valid. I acknowledge this shortcoming,” further points to institutional failures.

3. Indicators for Measuring Progress

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Indicator (Implied for Target 6.1.1): The proportion of the population with access to safely managed drinking water services is low. The article provides a qualitative measure: “some residents receive just two hours of water every 48 hours.”
• Indicator (for Target 6.4.2): Level of water stress. The article provides several data points: “24 provinces are under water stress,” “national rainfall average is down 40% from last year,” “volume of water flowing into dams has decreased by 43%,” and “More than half of the country’s dam capacity is now empty.”

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• Indicator (Implied for Target 7.1): Reliability of the electricity supply. The article describes “repeated and unannounced blackouts” and power cuts that “stretched beyond their usual time limits,” serving as a qualitative indicator of unreliability.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Indicator (Implied for Target 12.5.1): Food loss and waste. The anecdote of the baker who “was forced to throw away large quantities of ruined bread” serves as a specific, though not quantified, indicator of food waste resulting from infrastructure failure.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Indicator (Implied for Target 15.1): The extent of inland water bodies. The article provides a specific measurement for the degradation of Lake Urmia: “only a thin layer of water—just 4 to 5 centimeters deep—remains over a 100-square-kilometer area.”

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Indicator (Implied for Target 16.6.2): Proportion of the population satisfied with their last experience of public services. The article implies a very low level of satisfaction through descriptions of “growing public anger,” “disbelief and resentment,” and public protests in response to the crisis.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs	Targets	Indicators
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation	6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water. 6.4: Substantially increase water-use efficiency and address water scarcity.	– Residents receiving “just two hours of water every 48 hours.” – 24 provinces are under water stress. – Dam capacity is less than 50% full (stated as “more than half…is now empty”). – Dam inflows have decreased by 43%.
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy	7.1: Ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.	– “Repeated and unannounced blackouts” disrupting businesses and daily life.
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth	8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity.	– Business owners “losing hours of work.” – A baker throwing away “large quantities of ruined bread” due to power cuts.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services.	– Failure to provide consistent water and electricity to millions in cities like Tehran, Mashhad, and Rasht.
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production	12.2: Achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation.	– Majority of water used by “inefficient agriculture and wasteful industrial practices.” – Food waste (“ruined bread”) due to production disruptions.
SDG 13: Climate Action	13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards.	– Lack of effective government response to a “fifth consecutive year of drought” and extreme “heatwave.”
SDG 15: Life on Land	15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems.	– Lake Urmia is on the brink of drying out, with water only 4-5 cm deep in a large section.
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.	– Crisis attributed to “government mismanagement” and “systemic corruption.” – “Growing public anger” and protests indicating lack of public trust and satisfaction.

Source: ncr-iran.org