Iran’s president says moving capital ‘an obligation’ as Tehran sinks
Ground subsidence and water scarcity in Tehran may necessitate moving the Iranian capital to a different region, the country's leader said this week
The ground beneath Tehran is subsiding and drinking water is increasingly scarce, risking the health and safety of 15 million people who live in the Iranian city’s metropolitan area.
Ground subsidence beneath Tehran is part of a larger environmental crisis facing the region, and the country’s leader has proposed moving the capital to a different part of the country.
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Significant ground subsidence beneath Tehran
Tehran is located in northern Iran along the Alborz Mountains, which separate the capital from the Caspian Sea to its north.
The city is facing both water scarcity and ground subsidence crises at once. A 2024 study found that Tehran is subsiding at a rate of more than 20 centimetres per year.
Excessive groundwater extraction empties subterranean aquifers and causes the surface to subside. The sheer weight of cities themselves, along with other factors like soil composition, can accelerate the phenomenon.
Ground subsidence is a significant problem for major cities around the world. Subsidence beneath a city can damage infrastructure and possibly even compromise the safety of buildings themselves.
Moving a capital city isn’t unprecedented
Moving the nation’s capital out of Tehran “is an obligation” given the region’s growing environmental woes, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said this week, according to numerous news reports from the region.
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A frequently mentioned area for relocation is the southeastern corner of the country, which would also provide access to the Indian Ocean.
It’s not unprecedented for a country to switch its capital from one city to another.
Myanmar moved its capital from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2005. The seat of the Nigerian government switched from Lagos to Abuja in 1991. Widespread destruction from Hurricane Hattie in 1961 forced officials to move Belize’s capital from Belize City to Belmopan in 1970.