Print Friendly and PDF
Iranians prayed for rain, but were covered in snow
www.nytimes.com

Iranians prayed for rain, but were covered in snow

0 min read

A full-blown water crisis is drying out Iran, much to the concern of officials who fear protests and strife if conditions do not improve.


There is talk of rationing water in the capital, Tehran, one of the largest cities in the Middle East, because the usual autumn rains had not come.

Why this is important

Climate-driven drought and aquifer depletion played key roles in the Syrian refugee crisis. Over 160 rural villages had to be abandoned. The displaced people flooded the suburbs of cities like Damascus, which were woefully unprepared for the population surge, especially of unemployed youth. Could this happen in Iran?

About the author(s):

Pete Myers

Pete Myers is the founder and chief scientist of Environmental Health Sciences, publisher of EHN.org and DailyClimate.org

Become a donor
Today's top news

Severe flooding increasingly cutting people off from health care

Many more Americans will find themselves regularly cut off from essential services — long before water actually reaches their homes, a recent study predicts.

From our newsroom

Heat, air pollution and climate change … oh my! Was summer 2023 the new normal?

Intense heat waves induced by climate change create favorable conditions for air pollution to worsen. Scientists say this isn’t likely to change unless action is taken.

Calor, aire contaminado y cambio climático…¿Es el verano de 2023 nuestro futuro?

Intensas olas de calor provocadas por el cambio climático, crearon condiciones que empeoraron la contaminación del aire. Los científicos dicen que nada cambiará sin intervenciones.

Opinion: Protecting Indigenous children means protecting water

We need to stop compartmentalizing the environment, family and culture as separate problems.

Tracking down a poison: Getting the lead out of spices in Bangladesh and Georgia

Many low- and middle-income countries lack the resources to tackle lead poisoning. Here’s how two countries did it.