Iran is arid with low levels of annual precipitation and limited water resources that have been shrinking. Drought has gripped most parts of the country for at least a decade now, and precipitation has decreased drastically to its lowest level on record in 50 years. However, the situation is expected to get even worse. The latest figures by the World Resources Institute predict the rise of water stress globally in the next two decades due to climate change. In particular, most parts of the Middle East, including Iran, are projected to face high-risk water stress.

“Over 90% of the country’s population and economic production are located in areas of high or very high water stress. This is two to three times the global average in percentage terms, and, in absolute numbers, it represents more people and more production at risk than any other country in the Middle East and North Africa,” Claudia Sadoff, director general of the Sri Lanka-based International Water Management Institute, told Al-Monitor.

Iran’s share of global fresh water is 0.3%, while it is home to 1% of the world’s population. Experts put the country’s renewable water resources at almost 110 million cubic meters (89,000 acre feet), although some others say it is as low as 88 million cubic meters. Experts also say that while the optimal situation is for 40% of renewable water resources to be consumed, at present this number is nearly 90%.

However, the overconsumption of water resources is not new and has been taking place for several decades now, due in large part to economic development and a population boom. An opinion shared by many Iranians that water is God-given wealth has further resulted in its overconsumption.