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In the south-west of Iran, there have been protests and clashes with security forces, as a severe drought grips the province of Khuzestan. The water crisis has devastated agriculture and livestock farming and led to electricity blackouts. There appears to be growing public anger over water and power shortages, and there have been reports of deaths, which demonstrators have blamed on the police.

Kaveh Madani, a visiting professor at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, who has also served as deputy head of Iran's Department of Environment, explains some of the factors that have caused the drought.

"We are facing a man-made drought, with water demand outstripping supply. We're suffering from a system that is suffering from lack of foresight, unsustainable development, bad planning and poor management over long decades."

Photo: People light candles amid scorching summer heat as power outage crisis hit Tehran, Iran. The water crisis has led to widespread power blackouts across the country. Credit: Getty Images

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