In the shimmering heat of the world’s great deserts, from Saudi Arabia’s Rub’ al Khali (the Empty Quarter) to the sands outside Abu Dhabi, lies a paradox. These landscapes bask in uninterrupted sunshine yet remain under-leveraged in the global renewable economy. The stumbling blocks to starting solar projects are rarely physical: the sun blazes. The hurdles are administrative, financial, and usually bureaucratic. As we’ve learned from Ipanema some 80-90% of renewable projects fail due to unforeseen, high grid connection costs, which Astro’s AI identifies upfront.

The company secures grid interconnection agreements, then sells these de-risked, shovel-ready projects to larger energy companies who can immediately start construction.

How? Astro, based in Silicon Valley uses artificial intelligence to map, acquire, and ready land for utility-scale clean energy build-out, then sell these “plug-and-play” sites to developers hungry for opportunity but infuriated by paperwork.

Astro’s pitch sounds almost too simple to be disruptive because if the biggest barrier to solar and wind isn’t physics but red tape, what if you solved the red tape first? The company’s machine-learning models ingest satellite imagery, grid maps, land-use data, and localized weather forecasts to pinpoint parcels that are ideal for renewables — not just sunny or windy, but grid-connectable, low-conflict, and low-cost.

Once a site is selected, Astro negotiates land access, coordinates environmental assessments, and aligns utility interconnection agreements, all the elements that typically take years.

For oil-rich, environmentally vigilant Gulf states, this isn’t just another startup story. It is a blueprint for accelerating an energy transition that is now existential, not optional. Regionally, governments have set ambitious targets such Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 (which is most likely going to fail from poor planning and the dropping cost of oil) and the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategy among them — but the execution often collides with an analog world of forms, approvals, and human inertia. Astro’s model turns that world digital, algorithmic, and fast.

Now imagine applying Astro-style intelligence to water resources, wind energy, and even remediation of damaged lands. They could help us map out where to put greenhouses and towns of the future. They can plan cities not based on a feeling but on opportunities.

In arid environments, the scarcity of freshwater supplies is as pressing as the need for clean power. By layering hydrological data onto the same AI platform that identifies prime solar sites, planners could locate aquifer recharge zones, optimize placement for desalination projects powered by renewables, and reduce the energy footprint of water distribution.

Wind isn’t far behind. Coastal zones of the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea present compelling offshore and onshore wind potential. The same technology that pinpoints grid access for solar can model turbine wakes and logistics corridors, dramatically shortening the time from concept to construction.

And then there’s the elephant in the room: the environmental damage left in the wake of fossil extraction. You don’t have to look far for a cautionary tale — the soil and water crises around Basra’s oil fields which we wrote about last month, have made headlines and sickened communities. While Astro doesn’t sell cleanup services, the implication of its approach is clear: when you can map the viability of a clean project with precision, you can also map the liabilities. That opens the door for investors and sovereign wealth funds to bundle renewable investment with environmental remediation in blended finance vehicles.

Astro is founded by Alex Fuster. He is a Stanford-trained physicist and computer scientist and former energy trader at Citadel, he built Astro after seeing how predictable grid congestion data is overlooked by traditional developers. Astro is part of Y Combinator and is starting business development in Texas. Astro Energy closed a pre-seed funding round of about $500 K in April 2025, with participation from Y Combinator.

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Sinkholes are rapidly appearing in Turkey’s central Anatolian farming region, particularly around Konya and Karapınar. These giant gaping holes in the ground in areas of farmland, known locally as obruk, are not random geological events. They are linked to prolonged drought, climate-driven heat stress, and heavy groundwater extraction for agriculture in one of the country’s most important breadbaskets. As rainfall declines and evaporation increases, natural aquifer recharge has slowed, while demand for irrigation water has surged. There are an estimated 700 new sink holes that have popped up this winter, according to Reuters.

Related: Explore Istanbul’s coolest neighborhood Balat

In Konya, large-scale farming relies heavily on groundwater wells. Farmers often respond to drought by pumping more water and overwatering crops, especially where irrigation remains inefficient or poorly regulated. When groundwater is withdrawn faster than it can be replenished, underground cavities lose pressure and stability. Over time, the land above can suddenly collapse, creating sinkholes that damage fields, roads, and infrastructure and threaten lives. Sinks holes have appeared in Iran, and also in Israel in the area of the Dead Sea. A giant sink hole collapsed an entire road in Bangkok, Thailand earlier this year.

Climate change has intensified drought through higher temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns, while decades of groundwater overuse for agriculture have compounded the damage. As in Turkey, farmers often drill deeper wells and irrigate more aggressively during dry years, accelerating aquifer depletion and land subsidence. Scientists warn that this cycle—drought followed by over-pumping—can permanently damage water systems and agricultural viability.

Related: learn more about Tunisia’s lagoons and hanging gardens for sustainable agriculture.

Across Turkey, the Dead Sea basin, and Iran, the lesson is consistent: groundwater is being treated as an endless emergency reserve. In reality, once aquifers are drained or destabilized, the land itself begins to fail. Sinkholes are not just geological curiosities; they are warning signs that climate change, drought, and overwatering are colliding with unsustainable farming practices.

Read more on resource overuse on Green Prophet:

Green Prophet: Turkey’s deadly sinkholes threaten agriculture and people

Green Prophet: Sinkholes and shrinking shores of the Dead Sea

Green Prophet: Land subsidence in Iran is a looming disaster

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Soil pollution levels in parts of Basra are 1,200% to 3,300% higher than those typically measured in cities like Toronto or New York, according to new comparative soil data. It’s getting into water.

When ExxonMobil quietly returned to Iraq’s oil fields, signing new agreements tied to the Majnoon field and surrounding infrastructure in late 2025, it was framed as a story of stability. Security concerns once deemed too great were now manageable. Production would rise, pipelines would be upgraded, and jobs would follow.

While the US company promotes its renewed developments in Iraq to extract oil from a field known as “Majnoon”—Arabic for “crazy”—located roughly 50 miles from Basra, a city of five million people, no press release mentions what oil looks like when it enters a glass of water.

Within a five-mile radius of Basra city, oil operations are dominated by the Iraqi state-owned Basra Oil Company and international partners BP–PetroChina at Rumaila and Eni at Zubair. ExxonMobil’s former operations were located farther north and do not sit directly adjacent to the city itself.

“There is oil in the water, and it’s in the soil. Half of my mother’s brothers—six of them—have cancer, the youngest being 40, with leukemia. This has become normal now. We know that the oil fields just outside Basra are polluting our water and soil, but what can we do?” asks Sara (name changed), a young environmentalist I met in Istanbul.

She asked to remain anonymous, saying it would be dangerous to speak publicly. Pointing to a map, she showed where some of the world’s largest oil companies—such as BP and Eni—are drilling close to city limits in Basra, indicating areas where cancer rates are highest. She said no local researchers will touch the subject that children in these areas are dying from leukemia. She knows some of them.

“I sent my sisters to study in Istanbul so they can be far away from this pollution,” she told me, pointing to her sisters we are sitting with at the shisha cafe.

“We know that there are high levels of levels of cancer in Basra and it’s known that oil is in the tap water. Of course I don’t clean my dishes with the water but we do use it for clothes and showering. Farmers use the water even though it’s not safe. Don’t clean dishes. Children living next to the oilfield in the area of Rumalia, with estimates of cancer being 20% higher than the rest of the country. Some kids are living within a mile of the oil drills which is not normal.”

Rumaila is known locally as the “cemetery” for the high rates of cancer and disease among the population, left in the dark without resources despite supporting the lucrative oil fields nearby.

“Children living next to the Rumaila oil field get cancer,” says Sara. “There are babies being born with cancer. My friend works at the government owned chemical company that processes oil. Her 5 year-old sister died of cancer. She was playing outside and fell on her eyes when they found the tumor. She died a year later.”

How do people in Basra cope? It is a mix of avoiding drinking the water and giving up. The water is still used to wash clothes, clean dishes, shower, and water gardens.

Cancer is no longer whispered, it is assumed.

The BBC has reported extensively on soaring cancer rates in southern Iraq, particularly in Basra, where decades of oil extraction, gas flaring, industrial runoff, and war debris have combined into what doctors describe as an environmental health emergency. While doctors point to gas flaring, our source says oil contamination in water and soil may now be the greater concern. Flaring can be reduced around city centers (although data shows that is it only growing in Iraq), but oil that has entered soil and groundwater remains.

The BBC reported: “For health reasons Iraqi law prohibits flaring within six miles (10km) of people’s homes, but we found towns where gas was being burned less than 250m from people’s front doors. A leaked Iraq Health Ministry report, seen by BBC Arabic, blames air pollution for a 20% rise in cancer in Basra between 2015 and 2018.”

Sara says flaring and pollution continue despite the laws, while government agencies and universities turn a blind eye to the health impacts. She also says oil company employees sent to Basra are exposed to dangerous conditions, often late in their careers, and later receive large pensions due to prolonged environmental exposure.

Doctors interviewed by the BBC describe pediatric cancer wards overwhelmed. Leukemia, breast cancer, and rare tumors appear at rates far beyond global averages.

A 2025 study examining soil around Basra found pollution levels 1,200% to 3,300% higher than those typically measured in cities like Toronto or New York.

Average TPH levels ranged from 8 µg/g (dry weight) in agricultural areas to 265 µg/g along roads. During the wet season, levels reached as high as 340 µg/g, as rain drives oil residues deeper into the soil rather than removing them.

The study concluded that oil refineries are the main source of soil contamination, with additional pollution from vehicles, fuel stations, power generation, and oil infrastructure.

For context, Canadian soil safety standards, used in cities like Toronto, set acceptable levels far below the hundreds of µg/g measured in Basra.

Another 2024 study found elevated TPH levels across Basra’s major oilfields, including Majnoon, Rumaila, West Qurna, and Al-Zubair, exceeding thresholds associated with human health risk

Iraq’s oil sector includes BP, Shell (formerly Basra Gas Company), TotalEnergies, ENI, Lukoil, CNPC, and PetroChina, many operating through state partnerships. Gas flaring remains widespread.

According to the World Bank, Iraq ranks among the world’s top gas-flaring countries. These emissions settle into lungs, groundwater, and the bodies of children.

“It’s not safe to grow up there anymore,” says Sara.

Government employees in Iraq are currently banned from speaking publicly about pollution from oil fields.

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Can a cross-border hospital between Israel and Jordan anchor environmental cooperation too?

Israel and Jordan are moving ahead with one of the most ambitious cross-border development projects in the Middle East: the Jordan Gateway, a joint industrial and employment zone straddling the border near the Jordan River Crossing. Conceived during the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace talks, the zone is finally gaining momentum after years of legal disputes and construction delays.

Now, Israeli officials have confirmed that a hospital on the Israeli side, designed primarily to treat Jordanian patients, is under active government consideration. We’ve written about water cooperation and the Red Dead Canal which never happened. And now that Israel is cooperating with India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the region is gearing up for movement of goods, people and know-how form the east to the west.

The proposed medical centre, described by Emek HaMaayanot Regional Council head Itamar Matiash as “a centre for cancer treatment, so that people from Jordan or further away could come and receive treatment,” would become the flagship of a wider cluster of medical, academic and innovation-based services planned for the Israeli half of the zone.

Meanwhile, the Jordanian side is already home to several low-tech factories aimed at reducing unemployment, which remains around 18 per cent in the kingdom compared with roughly 3 per cent in Israel.

The defining feature of the Jordan Gateway is its carefully engineered border model. Workers from both countries will be able to enter the shared industrial zone while remaining inside an “ex-territorial bubble”. Jordanians entering the Israeli zone will not be granted entry to Israel beyond the site, and Israelis crossing to the Jordanian side will not enter Jordan proper. Full entry into either country will continue to require the formal Allenby Crossing procedures.

This controlled permeability reflects both diplomatic pragmatism and urgent security realities following the 2023 Hamas-led attack and subsequent regional instability, as well as recent violent incidents involving drivers crossing from Jordan into Israel to commit acts of terror. But not everyone should suffer from terrorism.

Beyond bilateral cooperation, the project’s strategic significance extends far beyond the Jordan Valley. The site is now positioned as a critical node in the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), the US-backed transport vision designed to link Indian manufacturing hubs to Gulf ports, Israel and ultimately to European markets. This route circumvents passing through Iranian waters and areas of the Red Sea being terrorized by Yemen’s Houthis and Somalian pirates.

Under current planning, goods could cross into Israel at the Jordan Gateway, be transferred onto rail lines to Haifa Port and then shipped onwards to Europe. Officials from the United States and European Union have already conducted site visits and expressed interest in the zone’s potential role as a resilient logistics alternative to traditional Red Sea and Suez routes.

But if the Jordan Gateway is to become a model for regional integration, its long-term success will depend as much on environmental governance as on geopolitics. The Jordan River Valley is an ecologically fragile corridor long damaged by over-extraction, pollution and climate-driven water scarcity.

Fortunately, the region already hosts some of the world’s most established cross-border environmental collaborations.

EcoPeace Middle East founded by Gidon Bromberg (and featured on Green Prophet regularly) —bringing together Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli practitioners—has spent decades advocating joint water management and ecological restoration.

Its “Green Blue Deal for the Middle East” proposes exactly the type of shared environmental planning the Jordan Gateway will require. Likewise, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, located near the Israel–Jordan border, has trained more than 1,800 Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian and international students in solar energy, desert agriculture and water-scarce resilience.

These networks offer rare and durable frameworks for cooperation that continue even during periods of political tension. Participation by Jordanian and Palestinian students, however, is often kept discreet, as some prefer not to publicize their involvement in cross-border programs to avoid potential social pressures when returning to their home communities.

If aligned with such environmental expertise, the Jordan Gateway could evolve into more than an industrial park or logistics hub. It could become a proof-of-concept for environmentally grounded peacebuilding—a space where economic incentives, ecological restoration and pragmatic diplomacy reinforce one another. In a region where borders often divide ecosystems that must function as a whole, this may be the most significant experiment of all. Peace comes only through shared values, and content.

Without that, peace making is an empty word.

“For a long time, my soul dwelt with those who hate peace,” says Psalm 120.

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As our twins enter their last year of high school, we are acutely aware of the passage of time. We feel a strong pull to linger and savour our moments together. So at the end of the summer, with our national airline in Canada on the verge of a strike, we booked a 10-day trip to Morocco.  Looking to slow down our experience of time, we wanted to learn from people with different stories and life paths.

We focused on doing and learning.  We crafted with master artisans – carving wood, etching plaster and stamping copper. We cooked tagines and couscous with a local family, baked bread in the community oven, and walked the winding pathways of medina streets in Marrakesh and Fez. We travelled by train and car while delighting in raw landscapes, beautifully spiced food, colourful architecture, and connecting deeply with the people we met.

Between Marrakesh and Fez, we booked 2 nights in the small mountain village of Imlil, in the High Atlas Mountains, to experience nature and life outside Morocco’s more urban centres. Despite its proximity to and easy travel from Marrakesh, Imlil felt dramatically different. We stayed at the Kasbah du Toubkal which is much more than a boutique hotel.

The Kasbah du Toubkal

The Kasbah du Toubkal is set high on a hilltop overlooking the village of Imlil with North Africa’s highest peak, Mount Toubkal, behind it. Unique in its approach to tourism, the Kasbah was founded upon and reflects an intentional set of ethical principles that aims to promote Berber values of hospitality, community connection, environmental preservation and cultural harmony.

The Kasbah is grounded in a story of true partnership and friendship between two people, British and Berber, which is infused into every aspect. Mike McHugo and Hajj Maurice met in 1978 and the Kasbah opened in 1995, with the shared belief that the Kasbah be built in collaboration and connection with the local Berber community.

Hajj Maurice and his wife Hajja Arkia (who welcomed us with a hug) along with their team from the local community, manage the day to day operations. A core value of the Kasbah is to share the beauty of Toubkal National Park with anyone who respects it, thereby offering a range of accommodation and pricing to ensure it is widely accessible to a diverse group of guests.

The arrival

Only 1.5 hours from Marrakesh, up winding pink mountainous roads, we arrived at the Berber village of Imlil in anticipation of the mystery that awaited us. After a warm greeting, we began our walk up a steep rugged trail to the Kasbah, passing by families from the local communities and towering gnarled walnut trees, grateful to the mule accompanying us, our bags strapped to her back. After 15 minutes, we reached the dark etched wooden doors of the Kasbah eager to experience what lay beyond them.

The Kasbah’s doors opened into a mystical realm of intricate stone pathways, arched doorways and hidden alleyways. Nature surrounds, with mature fruit trees, colourful flowers, looming mountains, villages and waterfalls dotting the landscape. Large sitting areas with colourful traditional decor and fireplaces, interspersed throughout, offer panoramic views and facilitate connection among guests.

We were welcomed with fresh mint tea and nuts which we enjoyed while sinking into colourful pillows, the imposing mountains ablaze with the bright afternoon sun. We could hear the soulful call to prayer being sung from the village mosques further grounding us in this spiritual moment. Our kids sat at the edge of the newly built infinity pool looking out on the multi-coloured rock, still processing the previous days’ experiences in Marrakesh.

We ate dinner on the upper terrace as the sun set across the valley, the sun illuminating the towering peaks surrounding us. Dinner, prepared in house, included warm fresh bread with butter, black and green olives, potato soup eaten with long wooden ladles, fresh dates, and chicken tagine with preserved lemons, potatoes rice and carrots – beautifully presented on clay dishes.

That night we went to sleep in our family suite to the cacophony of sounds from the surrounding villages echoing across the valley, of children playing, and animals bellowing, making the mountains feel alive and comforting in the darkness of the night.

The Kasbah offers many types of accommodation from en-suite rooms, to full private self-contained houses. We stayed in a two-level family suite with colourful decor, hand-woven carpets and carved wooden doors. Upstairs there was a full kitchen, living room, dining room, indoor fireplace, and an outdoor terrace overlooking fruit-laden fig trees. The Kasbah also offers its guests the opportunity to sleep under the stars on carpets and under blankets which we hope to experience someday.

Mount Toubkal and Trekking

The next morning, we woke up early for a guided hike arranged by the Kasbah. We fueled up with breakfast from a display of wooden bowls filled with nuts, dried fruits (prunes, figs, apricots), cereal, and yogurt. The warm bread and crepes were served with butter, cheese, honey, hardboiled eggs, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

We set off with our guide, Abdul, on a half day rigorous hike. Following a stream, we eased in with a tour of local villages, then up a steep climb through the Toubkal National Park. Mountain trails took us through turquoise, red, orange and purple boulders where we spotted elusive squirrels darting in and out of the rocky cracks. We passed bee hives, apple orchards, and snacked on wild blackberries. We descended steep stairs built into the rocks to waterfalls, where families splashed in swimming holes and enjoyed tagines cooked on open coals.

Our guide told us stories of village life and explained the nature all around us. He told us his father used to ski between villages in winter until global warming took away most of the snow and that before electricity arrived in 1997, people used to communicate by yelling across the valley. These few hours only gave us a taste of the potential to explore this rugged region. The Kasbah offers multi-day treks including the ascent of Mount Toubkal.

That afternoon, we swam in the Kasbah’s new infinity pool, that holds a 270-degree vista of the surrounding mountains, villages and valleys. This pool was added during a major rebuild after an earthquake in September 2023 devastated the area and destroyed parts of the Kasbah. It is a beautiful addition that can be enjoyed by families. We met other guests from England and Wales who were resting up by the pool before commencing their multi-day trek up Mount Toubkal.

After our swim, we visited the traditional Hammam on the grounds of the Kasbah. Wooden doors enclose a room full of hot steam heated by wood fire. We covered ourselves with black soap and an exfoliating glove softened our skin. We felt even more alive after the cold plunge in the marbled mosaic tile bath under the high arches and windows to the sky.

Connection to the local community

A core principle of the Kasbah is to ensure that it operates in harmony with and of benefit to the surrounding communities recognizing that it is itself a guest of the local Berbers and seeking to learn. A 5% levy is charged on the Kasbah’s services which is then directed to the Imlil Village Association to fund community projects including: building the first community hammam (bath house), creating a garbage disposal system, initiating the first two ambulances to serve the area, improving water safety in surrounding villages, and the creation of the organization Education For All to promote access to secondary education for girls from the High Atlas mountains including the building of a home for girls to board while attending school away from their families.

The founders’ longstanding commitment to education emanated from when they began leading educational tours in Morocco for school and college students long before the Kasbah was built.

Sustainability

The Kasbah was created in accordance with the principles of responsible tourism and sustainability. Highly conscious of the risk of greenwashing, the founders have intentionally sought to ensure the Kasbah benefits the community and also protects cultural traditions. Built before there was electricity in the region, workers from the surrounding villages used traditional building techniques (without electrical tools) and local materials, carried in by hand or with the assistance of mules. The fresh spring water is safe for drinking, and the Kasbah encourages the use of re-usable water bottles rather than plastic ones. The fruits, vegetables and meat are all locally sourced.

Standing on the terrace staring out at the mesmerizing landscape as the sun set behind High Atlas mountains, I reflect upon the passage of time in our parenting journey. Words cannot capture the mystery of the Kasbah du Toubkal – the magic of which must be experienced.

Walking well-trodden mountain pathways, eating fresh local food, and learning about the transformative work embedded in the Kasbah’s approach to tourism has now been imparted to our children. We hope, in turn, these experiences will serve to inform their contributions in the world as they continue to grow. Don’t wait, Morocco is on everyone’s bucket list. Growth and change are inevitable.

::Kasbah du Toubkal website

Karen Spector lives in Toronto with her husband, three kids, and three cats. She loves to engage in slow travel with her family, explore nature, and learn about local crafting and colourful textiles.

The post Travel Morocco with teens at the Kasbah du Toubkal’s magical mountain retreat appeared first on Green Prophet.

Iran’s second-largest city, Mashhad, is facing an acute water emergency after dam reservoirs feeding the city fell below three percent capacity, according to Iranian state and local media. Officials warn that without rainfall or improved inflows from neighboring Afghanistan, the city’s supply could soon collapse. It’s happened before that Iranian generals have accused Israel for stealing their clouds.

Iranians on X are talking about murdered bodies showing up in the dried sediment. “Reports that at least 74 bodies have been found in the Karaj Dam in Iran, all thought to be executed anti-regime dissidents,” says X commentator Nioh Berg.

“Because of the drought and lack of rain, this dam has dried up almost completely and revealed a MASS GRAVE. The victims had their hands and feet tied, and they were rolled into rugs, as well as wrapped in plastic. Their murderers didn’t account for the drought, and thought the bodies would never be found. This news story was published and then quickly deleted by regime media, after they realised it’s probably their own doing.”

“The water storage in Mashhad’s dams has now fallen to less than three percent,” Hossein Esmaeilian, the chief executive of the water company in Iran’s second largest city by population, tells ISNA news agency. He adds that “the current situation shows that managing water use is no longer merely a recommendation — it has become a necessity.”

Mashhad lies in Razavi Khorasan Province in northeastern Iran, a semi-arid region dependent on a small network of dams for drinking water, agriculture, and limited power generation. The most critical of these are the Doosti (Friendship) Dam, built jointly by Iran and Turkmenistan on the Hari (Harirud) River; and the smaller Kardeh and Torogh dams that directly supply the urban network.

The Doosti Dam, completed in 2004 near the Turkmen border, was designed to provide up to 60 % of Mashhad’s potable water. But its inflows have plummeted after Afghanistan’s Taliban government inaugurated the Pashdan Dam upstream on the Hari River near Herat earlier this year. Iranian officials accuse Kabul of violating cross-border water agreements and cutting off critical flows. The Iranian daily Jomhouri-e Eslami warned this week that the new Afghan dam “threatens the very survival” of Mashhad’s reservoirs.

The Hari River — about 1,000 kilometers long — originates in Afghanistan’s central highlands, flows west through Herat into Iran, and ends in Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert. Historically, its seasonal floods recharged aquifers and sustained farming along the Iranian border. But with multiple new Afghan dams under Taliban control, less water is reaching Iran’s northeastern provinces, even as rising temperatures and a prolonged regional drought accelerate evaporation.

Related: The Taliban kills Japanese water hero

Within Iran, years of poor water management compound the crisis. Kardeh and Torogh dams, both built in the 1970s, are now near “dead storage,” with barely enough volume for municipal use. Over-extraction of groundwater around Mashhad — home to more than three million people and millions of pilgrims annually — has further destabilized the system, causing land subsidence and salinization of wells.

Iran has also been spending billions normalizing terror by finding Palestinians to join Hamas, Lebanese to join the Hezbollah and for the Yemenites to become Houthis. Paying for conflict and not supporting your own people, comes with a high cost. The Iranian regime hates Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Israel so much that it will sacrifice anything in its global jihad.

Experts say the situation underscores both climate vulnerability and political risk in transboundary basins. Iran’s government is pressing for negotiations with the Taliban over shared water rights, as Afghanistan pulls the plug on its water by creating its own dams, but cooperation remains uncertain amid border skirmishes and mistrust.

If inflows from Afghanistan remain restricted and rainfall fails again this winter, Mashhad could face mandatory rationing and long-term aquifer collapse — a warning sign for the entire region as climate change and geopolitics converge in Iran’s drying east. Could we see a bigger conflict between Iran and Afghanistan? A good possibility. Similar tensions have been brewing for years between Ethiopia building the GERD dam and Egypt which is being denied water upstream.

If you’ve ever travelled to cities like Amman, Jordan, the water-stressed city shows how life goes on with water stress. Some city folks get water piped in once a week, but because municipal supply is so limited, many households, businesses, and institutions buy extra water from private tanker trucks and store this in private reservoirs so they never run out.

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