Water shortages, pollution, overpopulation: Iran is considering moving its capital. The country is experiencing one of its worst droughts in decades and its residents are facing water shortages. “ This is the result of decades of mismanagement, lack of foresight and failures in planning,” said Kaveh Madani, director of the UN University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health.
Apart from water shortages, the city is also affected by severe traffic congestion and very high air pollution. To overcome this situation, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wants to move the capital to the south of his country. “The reality is that we have no choice. This transfer is a necessity. We cannot burden this region with more population and development,” he said. A project being planned since the 1990s.
The region of choice for the establishment of the new capital was Makran, near the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important region. The idea was to develop the port of Chabahar, near Pakistan.
This city has direct access to the sea and international maritime trade corridors, making it the right candidate to become the new capital.
The transfer would require huge investment from Iran, which is still reeling from years of international economic sanctions. For historian specializing in Iran, Jonathan Piron, the idea is “absurd”.
