Environmental laws in Iran are rarely taken seriously by those in charge of enforcing them, giving the lawless the false impression that they can get away with breaking the law, according to a senior advisor to the secretary-general of the Expediency Council.
Seyyed Ahmad Nabavi, a former official at the Department of Environment, addressed the 1st International Green Peace Conference in Tehran on Friday and said, “It’s been nearly a year since (the Leader of the Islamic Revolution) Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei issued a directive obliging Iranians to respect environmental laws, but we hardly see wrongdoers punished.”
Calling the rampant disregard for green regulations “worrisome,” Nabavi, who is an advisor to the National Environment Fund, said life as we know it may cease to exist in vulnerable regions unless effective action is taken.
The fund was revived earlier this year after being closed down for 10 years. Its main goal is to finance green projects in the areas of air, water and soil. The fund has so far signed agreements with Germany and the Netherlands in areas related to the protection of the environment.
Disorganized construction of dams and bridges, expansion of farmlands, destruction of forests and pollution have, in one way or another harmed the environment.
He said government bodies and private entities must be held responsible for the current state of the environment and called on authorities to enforce green laws.
“Environmental issues transcend political and personal interest, and no one must feel they can encroach on the rights of the environment and get away with it.”
Last week, Ayatollah Khamenei issued a decree outlining general policies on the environment and called for effective management and preservation of natural resources and adoption of tighter regulations on environmental conservation, among others.
