War Brings New Water Crises to an Already-Parched Iran | Iran has accused the United States of bombing a desalination plant on Qeshm Island. The country was already facing a severe water shortage.

> Climate change has played a role. Drought cycles are becoming more frequent and severe, and last year marked one of the driest periods in the last 20 years for Iran. Extreme weather — like a 2023 heat wave that led to a two-day nationwide shutdown when temperatures reached 123 degrees Fahrenheit — has made water shortages worse. At the same time, snowmelt in the mountains that feeds rivers has been declining.

So three things:

* Higher temperatures mean less water available
* Management for short-term interests rather than the longer term sustainability meant even less available
* The US bombing a desalination plant having a huge local impact on an island community without other good options for water.