The Bill for the Protection, Restoration, and Management of the Country's Wetlands Finally Advances

While the lakes and wetlands of Shadgan, Gavkhouni, Bakhtagan, Hamun, and Urmia are in a critical state, the bill for the protection, restoration, and management of the country's wetlands has also made its way to the Research Center of the Parliament, similar to other environmental bills. Imagine a day when people start their day without using personal cars, relying instead on public transportation, bicycles, or walking. A day when no single-occupancy vehicles are on the streets, allowing the sky to breathe a little. This day is designated as 'Car-Free Day.' Since the 1990s, environmental advocates have tried to encourage people to realize this vision; these two topics are the focus of this week's program. The bill for the protection, restoration, and management of the wetlands has reached the Research Center of the Parliament, indicating that the government intends to take the dangerous situation of the wetlands seriously. The drying up of these wetlands has contributed to the increase of dust particles in the region. Nevertheless, the representative of the people of Urmia in the Islamic Consultative Assembly states that the problem of Lake Urmia can only be solved with the help and cooperation of the people. He is not the only one who believes that saving the remaining life in the dried-up and salty body of Lake Urmia requires less water usage in agriculture and conservation in household consumption. There is a serious need, especially in a region in the northwest of the country that the lake has divided into two parts. From all that water, only a mound of salt remains, and salty dust has risen. Agriculture has encountered dozens of new problems, and as Isa Kalantari, the secretary of the Lake Urmia Restoration Headquarters, states, with the drying of Lake Urmia, at least four million people will be forced to migrate. Skin cancers and respiratory and eye problems are increasing daily in the region. The remaining salt layers in the lake settle on trees and agricultural products, making it harder for the people of the region to breathe and complicating agriculture and gardening. But what should the people do? What should the people of Urmia, with tens of thousands of hectares of fruit orchards and agricultural land, do to help Lake Urmia regain some life? A citizen of Urmia, who is a farmer and prefers to remain unnamed, speaks of the necessity of public participation, stating that it is already too late to delay: 'The time for action has passed. In this national austerity plan, the government and the nation must trust each other. To save this lake and the nature of the region, people must get involved. Especially urban dwellers must feel responsible. For example, many of these orchards have pools where water is used for the owners' recreation. If the affluent class of society practices this austerity, they will suffer much less than the professional farmers of the region who rely on the land for their income. These individuals should voluntarily join the no-planting plan and drastically reduce their water consumption.' The restoration of Lake Urmia was proposed as one of the first resolutions of the government at the beginning of Hassan Rouhani's cabinet. Isa Kalantari, head of the restoration headquarters, recently stated in interviews that if we do not spend $7 billion on restoring the lake, we will have to spend hundreds of billions of dollars to compensate for its consequences. This is why, alongside the activities of this headquarters, one day in Parliament, there is discussion about transferring water from Georgia and Armenia, and another day news emerges about transferring water from Lake Van in Turkey. Officials of the headquarters say that the restoration of Lake Urmia does not have a place in the plans of provincial officials, and the government is left alone. Isa Kalantari announced in a press conference that the government has the duty to implement the approved programs of the restoration headquarters, and the people must also demand their civic rights. If the people are aware of their rights, no one can arrest them for supporting the environment and demanding the restoration of Lake Urmia. How was Car-Free Day observed in Iran? Imagine a day when people start their day without using personal cars, relying instead on public transportation, bicycles, or walking. A day when no single-occupancy vehicles are on the streets, allowing the sky to breathe a little. This day is designated as 'Car-Free Day.' Since the 1990s, environmental advocates have tried to encourage people to realize this vision. In many cities, those who care about environmental issues spend September 22 (31 Shahrivar) away from their personal vehicles. But how did it go in Iran? This year, symbolic movements were carried out in some cities; for instance, the mayor and staff of the Urmia municipality went to work by bicycle on Car-Free Day. Additionally, at least 150 cyclists rode through the streets of the capital to explain to people what day they were observing. However, what conditions need to be established for these symbolic movements to gain a more realistic aspect and for people to accept a role in this movement? Why are such global days usually not taken seriously in Iran?