Strikes On Desalination Plants In Iran And Bahrain Could Leave Millions Without Drinking Water

Last Updated:March 08, 2026, 17:15 IST

Desalination plants supply drinking water to about 150 million people in West Asia, making them vital infrastructure as strikes on water facilities raise water security concerns.

Bahrain accused Iran of striking a desalination plant on Sunday, warning that attacks on civilian water infrastructure could escalate the humanitarian risks of the conflict. The allegation comes a day after Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi accused the United States of hitting a desalination facility on Qeshm Island in southern Iran, saying the strike disrupted water supplies for dozens of nearby villages.

Desalination plants are considered highly sensitive infrastructure because any disruption could quickly lead to shortages in cities due to a lack of natural freshwater resources. 

It is estimated that around 150 million people living in the Gulf States and West Asia rely on these plants for drinking water.

Why Desalination Is Vital in West Asia

Countries across the Arabian Peninsula depend heavily on desalination because the region receives extremely low rainfall and has limited natural freshwater sources. Much of West Asia lies in arid or semi-arid climate zones where annual rainfall is often less than 100 millimetres, making it one of the driest regions in the world.

As a result, Gulf states have built some of the world’s largest desalination facilities along the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. These plants convert seawater into drinking water using energy-intensive technologies such as reverse osmosis (RO) and thermal distillation.

Today, desalination provides more than half of the region’s drinking water, and in several countries, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain, it supplies over 90 per cent of municipal water needs.

The Gulf is home to nearly half of the world’s desalination capacity, making the infrastructure essential for both urban populations and industrial activity.

Iran’s Growing Water Crisis

The vulnerability of desalination plants is particularly significant for Iran, which has been facing a worsening water crisis driven by climate change, mismanagement and declining rainfall.

Large parts of the country have endured years of drought, while shrinking reservoirs and depleted aquifers have intensified water shortages. Environmental experts warn that Iran’s water stress could worsen as temperatures rise and rainfall patterns become more erratic.

Earlier this year, Tehran was crippled by an acute water shortage, with major reservoirs reduced to just 10 per cent of their capacity, leading to extreme rationing, overnight water cuts and sparking discussions of the relocation of the capital.

Although Iran relies less on desalination than some Gulf states, coastal regions along the Persian Gulf increasingly depend on desalinated water to supply cities and communities.

The alleged strike on the Qeshm Island desalination facility reportedly disrupted water supplies to about 30 villages, according to Iranian officials.

News world Strikes On Desalination Plants In Iran And Bahrain Could Leave Millions Without Drinking Water

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