Iran halts power generation at key dam over drought

Iranian authorities halted electricity production at one of the country's largest dams on Saturday due to a notable drop in the reservoir's water level, state media reported.

Water Level Drops Below Operational Minimum

Amir Mahmoudi, director of the Karkheh Dam and its power station, said that "due to the decline in the Karkheh Dam reservoir level, the power plant units have been taken out of the production cycle," according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Mahmoudi added that water was subsequently released from the dam's lower valves to meet the needs of citizens.

He explained that the reservoir currently holds about one billion cubic meters of water. However, the "current water level is 180 meters (590 feet), which is 40 meters (131 feet) below the normal operating level" required for electricity production.

The Karkheh Dam is one of the largest earth dams in the world and the largest in Iran and the Middle East, according to IRNA.

The dam is built on the Karkheh River, 22 kilometers (14 miles) northwest of Andimeshk in Khuzestan province (southwest Iran).

Record Drought Plagues Iran

This development comes as Iran faces one of its most severe drought waves since record-keeping began six decades ago.

Iranian media reported in recent weeks that rainfall levels have decreased by nearly 90% this year compared to the long-term average.

Water levels in reservoirs supplying many provinces have receded to record lows, prompting prayers for rain to be held in several cities over the past few weeks.

In response, Iranian authorities have initiated cloud seeding operations to stimulate rainfall and have resorted to periodically cutting water supplies to rationalize consumption.

Iran, which is largely an arid country, has suffered from chronic drought and successive heatwaves for years, conditions that are expected to worsen due to climate change.