The latest reports from Khuzestan indicate that dust particles have now reached Bushehr Province, causing some flight cancellations. Residents of Abadan and Ahwaz protested once again in front of government offices, demanding swift and effective action to improve air quality, and the Red Crescent announced that it is on emergency alert in Khuzestan as […]
Tag: Environmental issues
Activists call for protection of Tehran gardens
A group of protesters gathered in front of Tehran City Hall to protest the destruction of Tehran’s gardens and orchards. The group called on the mayor to explain why no money has been budgeted for the coming year to protect gardens and orchards in the capital. The group also challenged the destruction of Madar […]
Iran asks UN for help with increasingly arid climate
The head of Iran’s Department of the Environment says forecasts indicate that dry weather and a lack of precipitation in Iran will increase elevenfold by 2050. IRNA reports that Massoumeh Ebtekar urged the Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Environment Program to assist Iran in devising a mechanism to […]
Water supply reduced for agriculture sector
Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture has announced that beginning in October of this year, the water allotted to agricultural developments will be reduced by almost 50 percent in accordance with a proposal by the Department of Environment. ISNA reports that according to top ministry official Mohammad Hossein Shariatmadar, the plan is meant to counter the […]
Who is failing Iran’s forests, Environment Department or Parliament?
This spring flames of fire soared higher than ever in the forests and rangeland of Iran. Golestan National Park caught fire a number of times burning down or severely damaging over 1000 hectares of the trees. The situation begs the question who is responsible for putting out and preventing these raging flames? The Department […]
Environment chief stresses urgent need for sustainability
According to Radio Zamaneh, Iran’s top environmental official says the country follows the worst possible model for consuming water and energy. IRNA reports that Massoumeh Ebtekar said on his trip to Kurdistan: “Our models for the exploitation of natural resources have been wrong all these years. We must base all our plans on capacity […]
Pollution puts Anzali Lagoon on blacklist
As Radio Zamaneh reported, Anzali Lagoon is now on the Ramsar Environmental Blacklist due to the increase in the amount of industrial, agricultural and household waste present in the body of water, says the Gilan Department of the Environment. Mohammadreza Borji, the head of the Gilan DOE, told ISNA: “Even if we moved this […]
Iran’s dust problem: potential causes and strategies
Iranian officials have expressed hope that residents of the country’s western provinces will have fewer problems with dust particles this year due to the heavy precipitation anticipated in Iraq. The observed environmental changes in Iran and neighbouring countries reduce the possibility of such optimism and appear to indicate that in the coming year and […]
Environmental official highlights biggest threat
The head of Iran’s Department of Environmental Protection, who has travelled to Japan to establish an environmental partnership between the two countries, says Iran’s biggest environmental challenge is the decline in water resources. Massoumeh Ebtekar visited the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) during a trip that began on April 1. She spoke about soil […]
Iran’s environment chief raises alarm about pollution, trends
The head of Iran’s Department of the Environment is expressing grave concern about rising greenhouse gas emissions, increasing temperatures and the decline in environmental indicators all across the country. The Mehr News Agency reports that Massoumeh Ebtekar announced that Iran is now the seventh-highest producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, and the […]