Rohani's Government and the Environment

The President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, once again referred to his government as an 'environmental government' during the Sustainable Development Summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Prior to his speech at the General Assembly, Rouhani highlighted his government's programs for sustainable development and prioritizing the environment in a tumultuous region marked by increasing extremist violence. This is not the first time Rouhani has described his government's approach to environmental issues. He previously mentioned this during World Environment Week in June 2014 in response to criticisms from some Friday prayer leaders regarding his government's programs. However, what are the signs of an environmentally conscious government? Over two years into Rouhani's administration, reports about the extent of environmental degradation in the country have increased. The legacy of mismanagement inherited from previous administrations, coupled with rising pollution in water, soil, and air, dust storms, drying lakes and rivers, and numerous other issues, has led this government to prioritize environmental programs. Critics point to the meager budget of 174 billion tomans allocated to the Department of Environment in 2015, which is supposed to assist a country grappling with water crises, dried rivers and wetlands, internal and external dust storms, and various forms of pollution, alongside the salaries of the department's employees. Critics also mention that the country's development plans do not align well with environmental regulations, indicating that the concept of the environment still lacks a clear place in the country's macro-level policymaking. Shortly after Rouhani's remarks, the Minister of Energy stated in a television program that dam construction in the country has been excessive, with some of these projects based on outdated calculations and others being overdone. Rouhani claims that his environmental government places environmental issues at the forefront of its agenda, while some critics argue that the situation is more critical than what a government can handle. Nevertheless, government officials continuously state in various meetings that environmental issues must be considered at the national and regional levels in macro-level programs and policies. They assert that they have begun their efforts, but a long road lies ahead.