No. of Recommendations: 8
In this case, Tehran is out of water so it must be Because Climate Change
Here in the desert southwest water supply is an increasingly serious issue. Climate change models for decades have been predicting warmer and drier in the US southwest and that is being born out. The Colorado is over allocated and the entities involved in managing the river's water cannot come to an agreement on what to do about it.
With luck we'll still get the occasional wet year, but right now the drought is prolonged and things are looking grim.
AI search results:
As of January 2026, the U.S. Southwest is in the midst of a multi-decade megadrought that began in 2000. Research indicates this is the driest 22-year period in the region since at least 800 CE.
Current Status (2025–2026)
Ongoing Persistence: Despite record-breaking rainfall events in October 2025, approximately 79% of the Colorado River Basin remained in drought at the end of 2025.
Widespread Conditions: As of August 26, 2025, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed 100% of the Colorado River Basin under drought conditions.
Reservoir Levels: Major stores of water are at critical lows. By January 1, 2026, Lake Powell was estimated to be at 3,538 feet (roughly 27% capacity) and Lake Mead between 1,050 and 1,075 feet (roughly 33% capacity).
Key Characteristics of the Current Period
Megadrought Intensity: The 21st-century drought has exceeded the severity of the previous record-holding megadrought in the late 1500s.
Anthropogenic Influence: Human-caused climate change is responsible for approximately 42% of the drought's severity. Rising temperatures have increased "atmospheric thirst," meaning evaporation plays a larger role in drying the land than the lack of precipitation alone.
Aridification: Scientists increasingly view this not as a temporary event but as a permanent transition to a drier climate, a process known as aridification.
Emphasis mine.
