When the Environment Speaks: Land Subsidence in Iran
Land subsidence in Iran is one of the most serious environmental and urban challenges. Due to poor and unprincipled management, it has caused extensive damage to infrastructure, agriculture, water resources, and the environment.
Key contributing factors include excessive extraction of groundwater (which is the main cause of land subsidence in Iran due to overuse in agriculture, industry, and drinking water), recurrent droughts, illegal wells, land use changes (leading to unauthorized construction, destruction of vegetation, and increased surface load), and mining activities.
According to domestic news agency reports, in 2024 (Iranian year 1403), 360 regions, covering approximately 3.5% of the country’s surface area, were affected by subsidence. Reports indicate that the provinces of Kerman, Alborz, Markazi, Qom, Razavi Khorasan, and Hamedan experienced the highest rates of land subsidence, with Kerman province facing particularly severe conditions, recording over 30 centimeters of subsidence.
In the same year, cases of land subsidence were reported near historical sites — notably about 300 meters from Persepolis and 10 meters from Naqsh-e Rostam in Fars province. In other areas, cracks as deep as 50 centimeters have raised serious concerns among heritage advocates.
By 2025 (Iranian year 1404), it has been reported that approximately 11% of Iran’s total land area is exposed to subsidence risk. According to reports, over 400 cities — including major metropolises like Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, and Tabriz — are located in high-risk subsidence zones. This reveals a disturbing reality: about 39 million people in Iran live in areas prone to land subsidence.
In Tehran province, subsidence rates in areas like Varamin, Shahriar, and parts of urban Tehran reach 25 to 36 centimeters per year. In provinces such as Kerman, Fars, Yazd, Razavi Khorasan, southern Kerman, and parts of Isfahan, rates of over 17 centimeters per year have been reported.
While unregulated groundwater extraction and illegal wells are recognized as the primary causes of subsidence in Iran, poor governance and ineffective inspection have led to an alarming increase in the number of illegal wells, now reaching approximately 422,000, with 160,000 of them dug after 2006 (1385).
According to studies by the Geological Survey of Iran and the Ministry of Energy, Iran’s land subsidence rate is over five times the global average, placing the country among the top three globally in both rate and severity. Factors such as population growth, excessive groundwater use, expanding agriculture and industry, and reduced rainfall have all accelerated this destructive process.
This announcement includes the most recent data and warnings as of July 15–16, 2025. The situation is now far more critical than in previous years. Regions such as Tehran, the Caspian coastal belt, and central provinces are experiencing unprecedented subsidence rates.
There is an urgent need for the implementation of immediate, scientific, and sustainable policies — both to prevent further infrastructure damage and to protect cultural heritage and people’s livelihoods.
Within the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda, several goals directly stress the importance of proper environmental protection:
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Goal 6: Restore wetlands, rivers, and water resources
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Goal 8: Decouple economic growth from environmental degradation
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Goal 9: Modernize industries and make them environmentally compatible
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Goal 11: Preserve cultural and natural heritage
Key related international frameworks include:
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The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
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The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
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The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD – 1994)
Defense of Human Rights Association in Iran
Defense of Environment Committee
Translated by Alireza Jahan Bin
