Climate Crisis in Iran Forces Mass Migration
Government mismanagement and rapid population growth exacerbate effects of climate change, leading to potential mass exodus.
- Record temperatures, prolonged droughts, and the drying up of rivers and lakes are displacing tens of thousands of Iranians each year, with many migrating from rural areas to major urban areas in search of alternative livelihoods.
- The Iranian government has blamed worsening water scarcity and rising desertification on climate change, but experts argue that government mismanagement and rapid population growth have exacerbated the crisis.
- Around 42,000 people were forced to migrate in 2022 due to the effects of climate change, including drought, sand and dust storms, floods, and natural disasters.
- Some Iranian officials have warned that many parts of the country could eventually become uninhabitable, leading to a mass exodus from the Middle Eastern country.
- Climate migration has put a growing strain on infrastructure and created socioeconomic problems in Iranian cities, including rising poverty, homelessness, and overcrowding.
RFE/RL 
