An earlier version of this article was published in Geopolitical Monitor:

As water scarcity tightens its grip on the world, the first cracks of the crisis are beginning to show. Marginalized population suffer the consequences of environmental degradation, while governments prioritize resources and protections for the privileged.

In the Middle East, where every drop is a matter of survival, the poisoning of the Aras River in Armenia and Iran is not just an environmental disaster, it’s a political fault line. The fate of this critical waterway has shifted from a shared, crucial resource to a tool of geopolitical maneuver.

Meanwhile, the environmental racism targets South Azerbaijani communities.

A Contaminated River

Originating from the Erzurum mountains in Turkey and flowing through Iran, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, the Aras River supplies approximately 20 million people.

The discharge of chemical, industrial, and even radioactive waste into the river now threatens its use for agriculture and drinking water. This issue has become even more urgent amid discussions to divert water from the Aras for consumption in Tabriz and surrounding smaller cities in northwest Iran.

More than 50 governmental and/or academic studies have shown the existence of high levels of 59 heavy metals throughout the river. A 2012 study in the Journal of Water Resource and Protection found dangerously high levels of heavy metals like mercury, lead, and cadmium in the river near Iran’s Ardabil Province. Researchers found some areas were already so contaminated that they posed serious risks to both human health and agriculture.

A 2017 study by Iranian researchers monitoring heavy metals in the Aras along the Iranian-Armenian border established that key toxins, including aluminum, copper, boron, and molybdenum, had exceeded safe limits. Tests on river sediments and local plant life showed an alarming buildup of toxins embedded in the environment. The researchers warned that the river’s poor water quality required immediate intervention, a warning that has gone largely ignored.

Climate change is making the crisis even more severe. A 2022 report of Watershed Engineering and Management found that as rainfall decreases and water flow slows, pollution levels will rise. Nitrates and phosphates, already a concern, are projected to increase sharply in the coming years.

The Culprits

The primary sources of the contamination of the Aras are no mystery. Industrial waste, mining runoff, and even nuclear pollution are steadily poisoning its waters. Much of this pollution can be traced to Armenia and Iran, where factories, chemical plants, and power stations release untreated waste directly into the river.

One of the biggest offenders is Armenia’s mining industry. The Kajaran copper-molybdenum plant, one of the largest in the region, dumps heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and cadmium into the water. The company is also responsible for severe pollution in the Okhchuchay River, causing extensive environmental damage.

Another alarming threat comes from the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant in Armenia. Located just 16 km (10 miles) from the Turkish border near the Aras, Metsamor is one of the few remaining Soviet-era reactors still in operation, despite being widely considered one of the world’s most dangerous nuclear facilities.

Built in the 1970s, Metsamor lacks a proper containment structure, meaning any radiation leak could have devastating
consequences for the surrounding environment. The European Union has urged Armenia to shut down the plant, warning of its serious environmental risks. Yet instead of decommissioning the facility, the Armenian government, with financial backing from Russia, has extended Metsamor’s operation until at least 2036.

Iran’s Risky Choice

Initially reluctant to acknowledge the issue, Iranian officials are now openly urging Armenia to take responsibility for the industrial waste contaminating the river. But at the same time, the Iranian government is pushing ahead with plans to divert water to the population of cities in the northwest.

Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi insists that the water will be transferred from an unpolluted section of the Aras. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said negotiations with Armenia are underway to address the contamination, raising the contradiction: if
the Iranian government openly acknowledges the pollution, why is it proceeding with the supply to the area, home to a significant Azerbaijani population?

The destinations — Tabriz, Jolfa, Hadishahr, Marand, Sufian, and other towns in Shabestar County — have already borne the brunt of the river’s pollution. Areas like Ardabil are witnessing a rise in cancer rates linked to contaminated water. But the Iranian government is doubling down on its risky choice.

Addressing Environmental Racism

The crisis of the Aras River is not just about environmental negligence, it is about who is deemed worthy of clean water and public safety. The Iranian government has a long history of sidelining Azerbaijani concerns, from the catastrophic mismanagement of Urmia Lake —- almost turned into a dry saltbed — to the repression of activists speaking out against ecological destruction.

Environmental racism occurs when governments and institutions systematically expose marginalized ethnic or national minorities to environmental hazards, while prioritizing the well-being of more privileged populations. This is not just neglect in one or two cases: instead, policies, infrastructure decisions, and resource allocations systematically and disproportionately harm certain communities.

The phenomenon is not unique to Iran. In 2014 officials in Flint, Michigan, with predominantly Black and low-income communities, switched the city’s water source to the heavily polluted Flint River without implementing necessary safety measures.

Residents suffered severe health problems from the ensuing lead contamination .. Despite clear evidence of the crisis, government officials ignored complaints for years, only acting after significant public outcry.

In Canada, Indigenous communities have long suffered from unsafe drinking water, with dozens of reserves under boil-water advisories for decades. As urban centers enjoy modern water infrastructure, Indigenous populations face systemic neglect that forces them to live with contaminated water carrying serious health risks.

The case of the Aras River follows the same pattern. Instead of investing in pollution control, water treatment, and sustainable policies, the Iranian government exacerbates the crisis by diverting contaminated water to Azerbaijani-majority cities.

If history is any indication, environmental racism persists until those affected fight for action and systemic change. Until Iran is held responsible for the environmental and human toll of its policies, South Azerbaijanis will continue to bear the costs of a problem which they did not create.

Addressing these issues requires more than surface-level interventions, they demand a fundamental shift in environmental governance, one that prioritizes equity, transparency, and the universal right to clean water.