Iran is in the process of moving its capital city. Tehran, a city of 9 million inhabitants (15 million in the entire metropolitan area) is now widely considered to be unsustainable.
Tehran has been the capital of Iran/Persia since 1786, but it is by no means the original capital. In fact, Tehran is the 32nd location of the country's capital throughout its long and turbulent history. Now, though, an acute water shortage ("water bankruptcy") due to its rapidly-draining underground aquifers, regular earthquakes, and the compressing and sinking land it is built on (it is sinking at an alarming 35cm a year!) has led to President Pezeshkian's decision that the whole capital city should be moved nearly 2,000km to the under-developed and remote Makran coast in the far south of the country. The idea has been in the air for at least 25 years, but never acted on.
Climate change (particularly in the form of failed rains) is, of course, part of the reason, but experts say that land, water and and waste-water mismanagement, overpopulation, air pollution, power shortages, and rampant corruption, has made the natural crisis much worse. The Makran region is known for its harsh climate and difficult terrain, and it is by no means certain that such a move will in fact be viable, but the writing is on the wall and the President is finally admitting that they now have little choice in the matter.
Moving a whole megacity and all its administrative, commercial and government functions is expected to cost the country north of $100 billion. Estimates for the time required vary between 25 and 100 years! But what else to do?
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