From Accusations to Global Recognition
Eight years prior to receiving the call that he had been awarded the Stockholm Water Prize, Prof Kaveh Madani was subjected to interrogation by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who accused him of espionage for agencies such as the CIA, MI6, or Mossad.
Currently living in exile, Madani was honored on Wednesday with the world’s most prestigious water prize for his integration of "groundbreaking research on water management with policy, diplomacy and global outreach, often under personal risk and political complexity."
The Iranian scientist expressed mixed emotions about the award.
“The sad part is that I don’t know if my compatriots [in Iran] will be celebrating it with me,”
“The people who supported me and didn’t give up on me. I don’t even know if they will hear about this because they’re disconnected at the moment.”
Early Life and Formative Experiences
Madani’s exposure to danger began in childhood. At six years old, an Iraqi missile struck near his home in Tehran while he was watching television.
“I remember the presenter saying, ‘Dear children …’ and then there was an explosion. Everything went dark.”
He recalls a four-storey building being lifted into the air, his mother bleeding, and people screaming. This traumatic event remains vivid decades later.
“One of my worst nightmares is still planes attacking and explosions outside our apartment.”
He pursued civil engineering studies in Tabriz before leaving Iran on an Iranian passport, which he notes imposed significant travel restrictions. He eventually settled in Sweden, where he received a visa after immigration officials recognized he was not a threat.
“The Swedes were kind to me. Someone at immigration said: ‘OK, this guy is not a terrorist,’ and gave me a visa. That shaped my whole life.”
Madani earned a PhD at the University of California, Davis, followed by a position at Imperial College London, where he developed an international reputation for modeling water systems.
Innovative Research and Water Management Philosophy
Early in his career, Madani applied game theory to water management, challenging conventional models that assumed cooperation among stakeholders. His research consistently concluded that water crises in Iran and other nations stemmed not solely from climate change but from mismanagement.
“Some people said I was ignoring climate change, others said I was blaming the Islamic Republic. But gradually the narrative started to change.”
He coined the term "water bankruptcy" to describe the situation where aquifers and rivers are depleted beyond recovery, contrasting it with the term "crisis," which implies a temporary issue.
Return to Iran and Political Challenges
In 2017, while based in London, Madani was invited by the Iranian government to return and serve as deputy head of the environment department, a cabinet-level position. This represented a rare opportunity for a diaspora scientist to contribute to Iran’s environmental challenges.
He accepted the role with the condition that he would not be imprisoned.
“I didn’t want to end up in jail – that was my only condition for the job.”
“What if this was a chance for my generation? For the kids who have left Iran and the children of the revolution who think differently?”
Upon arrival, Madani was arrested at passport control in Tehran and interrogated. The Revolutionary Guards confiscated his computers and phone. In Iran, the elected government and the Revolutionary Guards operate as parallel authorities, and even the government could not locate him.
“It was a very bumpy start. But I told myself: I came here to bring hope. Losing hope was the last thing I wanted because it would send a message to the rest of the world, to Iranians.”
Despite a brief tenure, Madani advocated for reforms, including appointing women to senior roles and presenting the water mismanagement issue directly to the cabinet.
Escalating Accusations and Exile
Hardliners accused Madani of being a Western intelligence agent. His environmental work was recast as sabotage, with allegations that he aimed to undermine Iranian agriculture to increase reliance on imported food.
“Some said I was trying to destroy Iranian agriculture, reduce production so the country would rely on imported food,”
“They called me an infiltrator, a ‘water terrorist’ and even a ‘bioterrorist’,” with claims that he sought to weaken Iran by promoting genetically modified food. “You read it and you laugh. But after repeated interrogations you realise they are serious.”
Madani credits his knowledge of game theory with helping him endure interrogations by understanding the perspectives and concerns of his accusers.
In 2018, the Revolutionary Guards intensified crackdowns on environmental experts. Madani was arrested and interrogated multiple times. Several conservationists were imprisoned, including Iranian-Canadian professor Kavous Seyed-Emami, who died under disputed circumstances.
Madani subsequently fled Iran and went into hiding. He later reemerged in the United States, accepting an academic position at Yale before transitioning to international roles. He currently leads the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Health, often regarded as the UN’s water think tank.
Global Water Challenges and Political Realities
Before conflicts erupted across the Middle East, Tehran was nearing a critical water shortage known as "day zero." Madani emphasizes that this issue is global, citing similar crises in Cape Town, Chennai, São Paulo, and water bodies such as Lake Urmia in Iran, the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan, the Dead Sea in Israel, and the Great Salt Lake in the United States.
“It’s everywhere,” he states.
He expresses skepticism that political change alone can resolve water scarcity.
“There is this belief that Iran would become Switzerland overnight if the Islamic Republic disappeared, but if day zero arrives and the reservoirs are empty, it doesn’t matter who is in power. There is no water to pump, there is no water to allocate.”
Currently, ongoing war has overshadowed environmental discussions.
“More than 3 million people have been displaced. If there is no peace, no one gives a damn about the environment. People don’t have the chance to care.”
The environmental damage will persist beyond the conflict. Attacks on oil facilities during rainfall cause chemicals to fall as acid rain, contaminating soil and water for years.
Diplomacy and Advocacy
As a UN official, Madani maintains diplomatic neutrality despite personal concerns about Iran.
“I feel like I’m working with a map of the world in which Iran would be dark because anything I say about it is politicised.”
“People who supported me ask me why I’m not speaking out more. But when you are an international civil servant, your heart is there, yet you still have to follow the protocols.”
In his acceptance statement, Madani emphasized the urgency of addressing water issues beyond political divisions.
“Water does not wait for politics. Water bankruptcy is a common threat that transcends every military line. We must recognise our shared vulnerability if we are ever to find our shared peace.”
