The recent protests in Iran over water shortages have unleashed plenty of commentary on the root causes of the current situation as well as recommendations for how the country’s water sector should be managed. From an expert point of view, there is no doubt that Iran is water bankrupt. It is also evident that poor governance—including wrong political decisions—have strongly contributed to the emergence of a crisis long foreseen.

Urgent action is needed to reverse some of the unhealthy past processes...