Reducing environmental pollution has turned into one of the main concerns of human beings.
Air quality in cities depends on weather conditions and the level of emission of pollutants. The growth of technology and urbanization has led to a significant increase in the level of different kinds of pollutants. Government officials adopt special measures to prevent air pollution and environmental destruction to protect the general public from the dangers of pollutants.
Bahareh Azimi and Behzad Rayegani, members of the board of the Research Center of Environment and Sustainable Development, prefaced their article for the Persian daily Donya-e-Eqtesad with this note. The translation of the text follows:
Pollution has increased significantly in Iran, particularly in large cities, in recent years and has inflicted irreparable damage on public health. In fact, the persistence of air pollution is not to blame on laws, but rather on the enforcers of the law who do not deliver on their responsibilities properly. Moreover, the possibility of compensating the damage caused by air pollution is low given its nature and special characteristics.
Tehran Among World’s Most Polluted Cities
According to the 2022 report by the World Health Organization, Iran’s metropolises, particularly Tehran, are among the most polluted cities in the world in terms of airborne particles (those smaller than 2.5 and 10 microns).
In the past few years, Tehran has always been among the 50 most polluted cities of the world; the air pollution in Tehran has increased in recent years.
What is the cause of the rising air pollution? Individuals and institutions have duties as part of the Clean Air Act of the fiscal 2017-18; they have failed to perform these duties. For example, in Article 8 of the law, all real and legal entities who own motor vehicles, including light, semi-heavy, heavy vehicles and motorcycles are obliged to decommission their vehicles after they reach a certain age; owners have to insure their vehicles with one of the domestic insurance companies under the supervision of the Central Insurance of Iran.
However, given the underproduction of domestic cars, this section of the law is practically not enforced, or is being carried out at a very slow pace. The law also says that motor vehicles need to undergo technical examination to secure third-party insurance; this is not being enforced either.
In the section on the duties of institutions, Article 10 requires the Interior Ministry to allocate budget from the general revenues of the municipalities and its budget in the national budget law (each amounting to 50%) to the inner-city public transport fleet at an annual rate of 5%, with priority accorded to large cities and cities with a population of over 500,000. This part of the law has been completely neglected as a result of the economic conditions of the country.
The Oil Ministry is obliged to supply fuel in accordance with the national standards within three years and the Department of Environment must prevent the production of non-standard fuel. The ministry is obliged to supply the fuel produced in the country, including gasoline, diesel and kerosene, in accordance with the approved national standards, within three years after the enforcement of the law. This section of the law has not been achieved either.
According to Article 9 of the Clean Air Act, the Interior Ministry, in cooperation with the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance (the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration), is required to modernize the urban public transport fleet with priority given to cities with a population of over 200,000, within a period of five years from the source of the income of Article 6 of this law, i.e. the import of electric-gasoline (hybrid) cars, electric cars and electric motorcycles through grants, subsidies, loans or reducing commercial tax to zero. This article is yet to be enforced.
According to Article 22 of the Clean Air Act, municipalities of cities with a population of over 50,000 are required to increase their green space to at least 15 square meters per capita with the cooperation of the Energy Ministry and the natural resources departments of the city. The production and supply of required seedlings (plant species with low water consumption, resistant and indigenous species) is the responsibility of the natural resources departments; the planting and maintenance operations is the responsibility of municipalities.
The Energy Ministry is obliged to meet their water needs from the wastewater sites of the cities, which depends on the use of new methods of irrigation by the municipality. As we speak, this article is being enforced to some extent, but has not yet bcomee fully operational.
According to Article 19 of the Clean Air Act, regarding renewable energies, the Energy Ministry is obliged to develop, produce and supply optimal renewable and clean energies to ensure that at least 30% of the annual increase in the country’s electricity capacity is procured from renewable energies. This article has yet to be implemented.
In other cases, the Clean Air Act is being followed and implemented by the Department of Environment.
According to the above-mentioned points, it is necessary to prioritize the following to reduce air pollution in large cities and comply with the provisions of the Clean Air Act:
Improvement of fuel quality
Improvement of the standards of motor vehicles,
The development of clean energies and stopping the burning of mazut [a heavy, low-quality fuel oil] by Shahid Mohammad Montazeri Power Plant in Isfahan and Shahid Rajaee Power Plant in Qazvin according to Article 8 of the Clean Air Act,
Production of cars based on Euro 4 standards. Note that 20 Euro 4 cars emit as much pollution as one old car,
Development of green space, traffic management and eliminating old vehicles from the urban transportation cycle, especially decrepit minibuses,
Reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and moving toward non-fossil fuels,
Tapping into the experiences of other countries in managing environmental issues,
Preparing and reviewing a comprehensive plan to reduce air pollution in metropolises,
Supporting knowledge-based projects to reduce air pollution in urban areas, and
Implementing environmental management and monitoring the program of industrial and manufacturing enterprises to improve environmental standards.
