Report on Infrastructure Crises in Iran and Their Impact on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

A report on recent developments in Iran indicates that escalating water and power outages are severely undermining national progress toward key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Systemic failures in infrastructure management have led to widespread disruptions, threatening public health, economic stability, and social cohesion, directly contravening the principles of sustainable development.

Analysis of Infrastructure Deficiencies and SDG Setbacks

H3: Failure to Ensure Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6)

The crisis represents a critical failure to achieve SDG 6, which calls for the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The situation is particularly dire in both urban and rural areas.

• Official data indicates that dam reservoirs supplying Tehran are at only 14% capacity, placing the capital under a red alert.
• Over 300 cities nationwide are reported to be experiencing severe water stress.
• Residents in districts such as Salehiyeh, Pishva, and Kahrizak face regular nightly water cuts, often without prior notification.
• In Ilam province, communities have reported a lack of water for periods of up to 72 hours, severely impacting basic hygiene and sanitation.
• The Alborz Province Water and Wastewater Company confirmed a 50% drop in reservoir levels, impacting cities like Karaj and Fardis.

H3: Lack of Access to Affordable and Reliable Energy (SDG 7)

The widespread, unplanned power outages demonstrate a failure to meet the targets of SDG 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. These energy deficits have a cascading negative effect on other development goals.

1. Unplanned electricity cuts have become a chronic issue, disrupting daily life and essential services.
2. The industrial sector is heavily impacted, undermining economic productivity and stability.
3. The combination of power and water cuts creates compound emergencies, as residents are unable to operate water pumps or cooling systems during extreme heat.

Socio-Economic Consequences and Human Impact

H3: Undermining Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) and Industry and Infrastructure (SDG 9)

The infrastructure crisis directly impedes economic progress and threatens livelihoods, a clear setback for SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). The dilapidated state of the infrastructure points to a long-term lack of investment and maintenance.

• A notable example is the closure of the Pak Choob factory in Shush, Khuzestan, due to power outages, which jeopardized the livelihoods of over one thousand families.
• The disruption to industry highlights how unreliable energy and water supplies make sustainable industrialization impossible.
• The government’s failure to modernize and maintain essential services is a primary driver of the crisis.

H3: Threats to Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3) and Sustainable Cities (SDG 11)

The outages pose a direct threat to public health and the sustainability of urban communities, undermining SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

• Citizens report being unable to perform basic hygiene tasks such as bathing and washing, increasing the risk of disease.
• The inability to use cooling systems during heatwaves exacerbates health risks.
• Living conditions in affected areas, described by residents as “paralyzing,” demonstrate a failure to provide safe, resilient, and sustainable human settlements.

H3: Increased Inequalities (SDG 10) and Institutional Failures (SDG 16)

The crisis disproportionately affects the most vulnerable populations, thereby increasing inequality in direct opposition to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Furthermore, the government’s response highlights a lack of accountability and effective governance, as outlined in SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).

1. Rural and southern regions, along with impoverished urban districts, bear the most severe consequences of the shortages.
2. Official advice for citizens to purchase water tanks and pumps is not a viable solution for low-income households, creating a class-based disparity in access to basic services.
3. Rather than addressing systemic mismanagement, authorities have blamed rising consumption and threatened punitive measures against households, indicating a failure of institutional responsibility.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article highlights several interconnected crises in Iran, primarily focusing on water and power shortages and their societal impacts. These issues are directly relevant to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The lack of clean water for basic hygiene poses significant public health risks.
   • SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: This is a central theme, with the article detailing severe water shortages, rationing, and lack of access to safe drinking water.
   • SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The widespread and unplanned power outages directly relate to the goal of ensuring reliable energy.
   • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The closure of factories due to power cuts and the resulting job losses connect the infrastructure crisis to economic stability and livelihoods.
   • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The article explicitly blames “dilapidated infrastructure,” “chronic mismanagement,” and a “lack of investment” for the crises.
   • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article points to disparities in how the crisis affects different populations, noting that “rural and southern areas suffering the most severe consequences” and highlighting “class-based discrimination” in resource distribution.
   • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The focus on major urban centers like Tehran, Karaj, and Fardis facing critical shortages of basic services like water and electricity is a key aspect of this goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets are relevant:

   SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.1: “By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.” The article shows a failure to meet this target, citing residents in Mehdiabad being “without water for up to 72 hours” and others in Tehran having “no water” from 11 p.m. to 11 a.m.
   • Target 6.4: “By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity…” The article directly contradicts this by stating that “over 300 cities are already experiencing severe water stress” and that Tehran’s dam reservoirs are only 14% full, indicating unsustainable water withdrawal.

   SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Target 7.1: “By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.” The “mounting power outages” and “unplanned power outages” that led to the closure of the Pak Choob factory demonstrate a lack of reliable energy services.

   SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.2: “Achieve higher levels of economic productivity…” The article shows the opposite, stating the energy crisis is “undermining the industrial sector” and causing industries to grind “to a halt.”
   • Target 8.5: “By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all…” The closure of the factory in Shush, which “jeopardizes the livelihoods of over a thousand families,” is a direct setback to this target.

   SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.1: “Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.” The article attributes the crises to “chronic mismanagement, lack of investment, and dilapidated infrastructure,” which is a direct failure to meet this target.

   SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.1: “By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services…” The article details the lack of basic services in urban areas, with residents in south Tehran and Alborz province facing regular water cuts and low pressure, forcing them to “buy a water tank.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   The article provides several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure the lack of progress towards these targets:

   SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Indicator for Target 6.1: The duration of water cuts is a clear indicator. The article mentions cuts lasting “up to 72 hours” in Mehdiabad and nightly cuts “from 11 p.m. to 11 a.m.” in Tehran. The need for residents to “buy a water tank” also implies a lack of safely managed services.
   • Indicator for Target 6.4: The level of water stress is explicitly mentioned. Key indicators from the article include: “over 300 cities are already experiencing severe water stress,” “only 14% of the capital’s dam reservoirs remain filled,” and a “50% drop in reservoir levels” in Alborz Province.

   SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Indicator for Target 7.1: The frequency and impact of power outages serve as an indicator of reliability. The article points to “unplanned power outages” and “simultaneous power and water cuts” as evidence of an unreliable supply.

   SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Indicator for Target 8.5: The number of jobs lost or at risk is a direct indicator. The article specifies that the closure of the Pak Choob factory threatens the “livelihoods of over a thousand families.”

   SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Indicator for Target 11.1: The number of people or districts affected by disruptions in basic services. The article mentions specific districts in south Tehran (Salehiyeh, Pishva, Kahrizak, Baghershahr) and cities in Alborz (Karaj, Fardis) that are coping with regular water cuts.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators Identified in the Article
   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	Target 3.9: Reduce illnesses from water pollution and contamination.	Qualitative reports of residents being unable to bathe or wash (“we can’t bathe, can’t wash”).
   SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation	Target 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water. Target 6.4: Address water scarcity and ensure sustainable withdrawals.	Duration of water cuts (up to 72 hours); Nightly water cuts (11 p.m. to 11 a.m.); Number of cities under water stress (over 300); Dam reservoir levels (14% in Tehran, 50% drop in Alborz).
   SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy	Target 7.1: Ensure universal access to reliable and modern energy.	Reports of “unplanned power outages” and “simultaneous power and water cuts.”
   SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth	Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work.	Number of livelihoods threatened by factory closure (“over a thousand families”).
   SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure	Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure.	Qualitative description of infrastructure as “dilapidated” and suffering from a “lack of investment.”
   SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all.	Disparities in impact, with “rural and southern areas suffering the most severe consequences” and reports of “class-based discrimination.”
   SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	Target 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate basic services.	Specific urban districts (Salehiyeh, Pishva, etc.) and cities (Karaj, Fardis) experiencing regular cuts to basic services.

Source: ncr-iran.org