With the aim of protecting public health and the natural environment, the World Bank signed a $20 million loan to support the Government of Iran in reducing the impact of water and air pollution in major cities across five provinces in the country. The first in a series of projects to upgrade environmental management in Iran, this initiative will focus on boosting the Department of Environment's ability to respond to pollution problems.
Increasing population density in urban areas and expanding industry in the oil and gas sectors are putting pressure on Iran's environment. Air pollution in major cities such as Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Tabriz and Ahwaz pose a serious environmental problem, exceeding the World Health Organization's (WHO) safety threshold in the range of 40 to 340 percent.
In the capital of Tehran alone, the aging transport sector, heavy industries and small and medium-sized businesses add about 1.5 million tons of pollutants to the air annually. Motor vehicles are a significant contributor to air pollution. Sometimes schools are closed and residents asked to remain indoors due to health risks of heavy pollution.
In addition, the quality of rivers and groundwater is deteriorating. The water quality of the Karoon river which represents 30 percent of Iran's total surface water resources, has been deteriorating at an alarming rate due to untreated municipal wastewater, agricultural drainage and untreated industrial wastewater.
The consequences on human health has been damaging. According to the Ministry of Health in the Khuzestan province, diarrhea illnesses account for more than 90 percent of children's diseases and 15 percent of under five mortality. In addition, water pollution is posing substantial costs for treating water and transporting cleaner water from distance sources.
In response to the growing pollution problem, the Government of Iran has placed pollution reduction as one of its top priorities in its current five-year development plan. It specifically compels the Government to reduce air pollution in the major cities to WHO standards.
The proposed project seeks to help the Government of Iran achieve progress on its commitments in the development plan and engage non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in protecting the environment. It will strengthen the Department of Environment's ability to monitor air and water quality and support partnerships with other ministries, municipalities, universities and NGOs by financing joint environmental projects.
In cooperation with the World Bank Institute—the training arm of the World Bank—the project will also provide courses and training programs to improve the performance of public sector staff and NGOs involved in air and water quality management. Public awareness campaigns will be undertaken by the Department of Environment to improve the public's understanding of the harmful effects of water and air pollution and encourage environment-friendly behavior.
"We are impressed with the Government ownership and commitment to tackle environmental pollution from the executive levels to line ministries and municipalities," says Kanthan Shankar , World Bank task team leader for the project. "We are equally impressed by the activism shown by civil society—there are over 150 environmental NGOs in the country," he added.
The project falls in line with the World Bank's two-year interim country assistance strategy for Iran, which places emphasis on targeted lending in social and environmental areas through lending and transfer of knowledge. Lending in this interim period will focus on priority areas such as low-income housing, environmental protection, community-based infrastructure and job creation programs. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
