The environment in Iran started to be taken into account by the State in the Années 1950, following environmental degradations and of the overexploitation of the natural resources. Iran initially obtained an Iranian association with the wild life in 1956, then of an organization of hunting and fishing in 1967 and finally of a Department of the Environment in 1971. The goal of these organizations was environmental protection.

Nature in Iran

See also: Fauna of Iran

The fauna and the Flora of Iran, being given the great quantity of Biome S and Biotope S, accommodates many animal species and vegetable. Some are threatened of extinction, like the Guépard of Iran ( Acinonyx jubatus venaticus ), from which there remain only 50 to 60 individuals. Indeed, the rarefaction of the onager of the desert ( Equus hemionus onager ), of the Indian Gazelle ( Gazella bennetti ), of the Gazelle to goiter ( Gazella subgutturosa ), of the Urial ( Ovis vignei ) and of the bezoars ibex ( Capra aegagrus aegagrus ), which is preys of the cheetah, explains the danger of extinction of the species. Other animals are endemic with the Iranian areas, like the Tétraogalle of Persia or the Daim of Persia, which are very rare today.

Iranian institutions related to the environment in Iran

Iran initially obtained an Iranian association with the wild life in 1956, then of an organization of hunting and fishing in 1967 and finally of a Department of the Environment in 1971.

Since the ratification by Iran in 1996 of convention tallies on the climate changes, Iran also obtained an national office of the climate changes, charged with proposing strategies and projects in order to face the climate changes. This office is composed of scientists (Université of Teheran, technological Université Sharif) and representatives of the ministries for oil, energy, ministry for science, research and technology, ministry for agriculture, ministry for health and Department of the Environment.

Environmental main issues

Since the beginning of the 21e century, the environmental main issues are the following:

• the Air pollution, particularly in the urban areas. This pollution has anthropic causes and is related on the emissions of the vehicles, the operations of refinery and the emanations industrialists.
• the Deforestation
• the Turning into a desert
• reduction in the surface of the marshes because of the Dryness.
• pollution by the Oil in the Persian Gulf (had with the operations of extraction and degasification).
• the Pollution the water, caused by the industrial wastes and the not controlled waste water rejections.

Most alarming of these problems is perhaps that of the quality of the air, more particularly in the capital with Teheran. The carbon monoxide represents an important part of the 1,5 million tons of polluting products rejected in Teheran in 2002. The president of the time, Mohammad Khatami stated that the cars built in Iran must have standards more favorable for the environment, and promised the passage to the fuel without lead. Indeed, the car fleet is mainly old, sometimes of more than 20 years (with models made in Iran like the Peykan).

Environmental protection in Iran

There exists in 2006 four types of protected areas in Iran:

• the national parks (16)
• refuges of wild life (33)
• the protected areas (43)
• national natural monuments (13).

In 2006, Iran idenitifie 21 sites “Ramsar”, covering an total surface area of 1.465.967 ha; on the other hand, Iran did not indicate any site like reserves Biosphere.

National parks

Sites “Ramsar”

Adhesion with the international treaties

Iran signed and ratified the Convention of Ramsar ( Relative convention at the wetlands of international importance particularly like habitats of the water birds), the Convention for the protection of the world heritage, cultural and natural, the Convention on biological diversity, Convention tallies on the climate changes (tallies for the Protocole of Kyoto), the Convention of the United Nations on the fight against the turning into a desert, the Convention on the prevention of the marine pollution resulting from the immersion of waste, the convention for the protection of the layer of ozone.

The country also took part in the Programme Man and Biosphere of UNESCO, and nine sites were identified like reserves of biosphere in 1999 (for an total surface area of 2.609.731 ha). Iran also ratified regional convention for the co-operation as regards environmental protection sailor against pollution; the action plan for the protection and the development of the marine zones and coastal of the gulf.

Iran signed but did not ratify: Convention of the United Nations on the right of the sea, the treaty of conservation of the sea life and convention on the environmental modification.

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