Environmental issues in Iran
Environmental issues in Iran include, especially in urban areas, vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents which contribute to poor air quality. A report by the United Nations Environment Programme ranked Iran at 117th place among 133 countries in terms of environmental indexes.[1][2] Water scarcity is a serious issue, and the country is also threatened by climate change.
Ecosystems[edit]
Much of Iran’s territory suffers from overgrazing, desertification and or deforestation.
Wetlands and bodies of fresh water increasingly are being destroyed as industry and agriculture expand, and oil and chemical spills have harmed aquatic life in the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea.[11] Iran contends that the international rush to develop oil and gas reserves in the Caspian Sea presents that region with a new set of environmental threats.[12] Although a Department of Environment has existed since 1971, Iran has not yet developed a policy of sustainable development because short term economic goals have taken precedence.[13]
Signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation.[14]
Deforestation[edit]
Iran had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 7.67/10, ranking it 34th globally out of 172 countries.[15]
Natural disasters[edit]
Iran experiences periodic droughts, floods, dust storms, sandstorms and earthquakes along western border and in the northeast.[14]
Soil erosion[edit]
Iran ranked worst in the world for soil erosion in 2011,[16] with reports from 2017 indicating that the erosion rate in the country is 2.5 times the world average.[17]
Waste[edit]
An estimated 50,000 tons of trash is produced in the country every day of which something between 70 and 80 percent is disposed of hygienically but the rest is not.[18] Iran produces over 8 million tons of hazardous waste annually (2016).[19]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Country Studies. Federal Research Division.