To What Extent Are Sanctions Effective in Destroying Iran's Environment?

The head of the Environmental Protection Organization states that sanctions against Iran have harmed the country's environment. Masoumeh Ebtekar told AFP that Iran has suffered more from global warming than other countries, linking this damage largely to international sanctions against Iran. She mentioned the reduction of groundwater and the drying up of rivers and wetlands in Iran as examples, stating that part of this situation is due to unjustifiable actions within Iran, while another part is due to the consequences of climate change. In her interview with AFP, Ebtekar noted that the continuation of some sanctions against Iran after the JCPOA has put Iran's efforts to achieve its climate change commitments at risk. Are sanctions against Iran really so effective that they expose Iranians to the consequences of climate change more than other countries? Hamid Pouran, a senior environmental researcher at the Middle East and Africa Studies Institute at the University of London, points to the global trend of climate change: "Countries like China and the US did not face issues accessing technology. They were not under sanctions and participated in the climate change process, and they too were affected. Iran is similar. Sanctions can be considered relevant to issues related to the future and the past few years. However, this is a political discussion. It is understandable that at least these sanctions have an impact from a humanitarian and environmental perspective and may hinder Iran's ability to fulfill its commitments. However, attributing these sanctions as the cause of climate change in Iran does not seem very accurate because other countries also face these problems despite having access to technology. However, if we consider the energy extraction and consumption system, this overall worn-out chain unfortunately cannot be transformed and adapted to the conditions desired by the global community, which is obligated to reduce greenhouse gases, without access to new financial resources, foreign investors, and updated and optimized technology. From this perspective, if sanctions continue or create obstacles, Iran will not reach the ideal conditions mentioned in its voluntary commitments. This is why Masoumeh Ebtekar stated that sanctions against Iran must be completely lifted, as technology related to controlling greenhouse gases is needed. According to the global Paris Agreement on climate change, countries have committed to keeping the increase in global temperature below two degrees Celsius by 2100 and to strive to limit this increase to no more than one and a half degrees Celsius. Iran is also among the signatories of this international agreement and has committed to unconditionally reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by four percent over a 15-year period, and if sanctions are completely lifted and international cooperation is established, to increase this reduction to 12 percent. However, according to Hamid Pouran, the biggest problem that Iran's environment has faced and continues to face due to sanctions is a process that is still fraught with uncertainties: "We first need appropriate communications with the world; countries and large companies need to know that they can benefit from investing in Iran. For solar energy, for example, we do not only need solar panels. We need converters and energy storage systems. We need a range of technologies, of which perhaps only a few are available in Iran. Additionally, refineries that waste a lot of energy or produce greenhouse gases, such as gas flares in refineries, especially in the south, are examples. When we say we need green technology or technologies, it is not just about solar energy; it is a collection of technologies, including electric vehicles and new engines, and updated heavy industries that consume less energy. Optimized energy transmission lines are also part of it. Therefore, we are talking about a wide range of technologies. Now, Masoumeh Ebtekar states that Iran is currently facing the consequences of climate change, and this issue is not a problem for the future of Iran but a problem for today. Arak, one of the most polluted cities in Iran, is facing significant challenges. Arak, the capital of Markazi Province, is among the most polluted cities in Iran. The increase in population and vehicles, along with the upward trend of industrialization in this city and the establishment of small and large factories, has caused citizens to spend many days dealing with news about poor air quality and unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups. This situation is harmful to children, pregnant women, heart and respiratory patients, and the elderly. This condition has led Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, during his visit to this province and city, to tell the people that the government is taking action for this city. Arak is one of the most industrialized cities in Iran and attracts a large population for work. However, this feature has also made it one of the most polluted cities in the country. According to Gholamreza Noori-Sadegh, a doctoral student in environmental studies researching environmental pollution in Arak, this is the biggest environmental challenge in Arak: "Given the concentration of major industries and the storage of industries contrary to other parts of the country, the Shazand region and Arak have an industrial pollution problem. Statistics indicate that 54 percent of Arak's air pollution is influenced by industry. 47 percent is influenced by vehicles and public transportation, which mainly consists of heavy vehicles such as trucks and trailers that enter the region for loading and transporting products from major industries and their dependent industries. Their consumption is mostly diesel, similar to the operation of the Shazand power plant and other industries established in the region, including petrochemicals, oil refineries, and other industrial units such as the aluminum ingot production unit in Arak, which has created a crisis of air pollution in Arak. The air pollution situation in Arak reached a point several years ago that a comprehensive plan to reduce air pollution in Arak was approved by the cabinet in 2007. In this plan, the fuel of the Shazand power plant and the old lines of the aluminum factory are among the main issues that seem to have persisted even nine years later during Hassan Rouhani's visit. As Gholamreza Noori-Sadegh, an environmental researcher who has been studying in Arak for several years, states, these problems have endangered the lives of people and, of course, nature and the ecosystem: "The crisis is such that at times people inhale sulfur due to air inversion. This causes both respiratory and blood problems. In addition to the gases that measurement stations do not yet indicate in the region, in recent years, the exploitation of nature has become a culture. This culture has led people not to bear the costs of environmental destruction. As a result, a hidden part of pollution exists in these areas, including Arak, which is a large industrial city. The President of Iran announced during his visit to Arak that the renewal of the transportation fleet in Arak is being pursued, but the problem of dust from nature remains.