TEHRAN - Soil erosion in Iran is so high that it is costing the country $56 billion every year, says Mohammad Darvish, an official at the Department of Environment.

By Parvin Telli

Soil erosion in Iran is so high that it is costing the country $56 billion every year, says Mohammad Darvish, an official at the Department of Environment.

On average, soil erosion in Iran is three times more than other Asian countries, and it is one of the highest in the world, Darvish tells the Tehran Times in an exclusive interview.

Darvish, known as Iran’s green gladiator, also says Iran has “lost 18 million oak trees in Zagros Mountains”.

Darvish who is in charge of education and environmental contribution is not satisfied with the number of NGOs active in protecting environment in a country as big as Iran with about 78 million population.

What comes below is the text of the interview with Darvish who has been working hard to raise public awareness about human-caused environmental threats:

Q: What is your evaluation of the current status of environment in Iran?

A: The current condition of Iran’s environment could be studied in terms of five fields: soil, water, biodiversity, weather and a newly added field which is people’s contributions to protect the environment.

The estimated price for each ton of soil is now $28. Two billion tons of soil are eroded in Iran every year, costing the country $56 billion annually. Sorry to say that, on average, soil erosion in Iran is three times that of Asia and one of the highest figures on the globe.

This is while hundreds of thousands of Iranians lost their lives during an eight-year war [1980-1988 Iraq-Iran war] to safeguard the soil, but they are now losing equal to Lesser Tunb [an island in the Persian Gulf] every year only because of adopting wrong policies. 

As the Supreme Leader highlighted last year, soil is more important than water because 200 to 1,000 years are required to form soil, but there are some ways to turn saline water into fresh water.

However, water (consumption) is also the second challenge in Iran.  Instead of 40 percent, Iranians are draining over 80 percent of their water reservoirs, the result of which is water stress across the country. Water-level has been declining in more than 60 main plains in the center of Iran. Besides, the fastest desertification of the century has taken place in Lake Urmia where 480,000 hectares of the land have turned into desert within 15 years.

Most of the lagoons are in deplorable condition and a total 60 percent of them, including Almagol, Alagol, Ajigol in Payab-e Atrak, are left bone dry. Gomishan has receded 1.5 kilometers. The average depth of Anzali has declined from 14 meters to 0.7 meters. We have lost Gavkhouni, Arzhan, Parishan, Bakhtegan, Kaftar, Poozak, Saboori, Hamoon, Jaz Murian and Horolazim. We have lost 30 percent of Shadegan. Helleh lagoon is not in good condition too. 

Besides, we have lost 18 million oak trees in Zagros Mountains and they are constantly subject to different pests such as wood-boring beetle and Loranthus.

Biodiversity is not better than the other four fields where the total number of gazelle, deer, chinkara,  Persian fallow deer, wild goat, etc. has decreased below 110,000 while they were 10 times more about half a century ago. Biodiversity is bioindicator giving information about quality of an ecosystem where the animals are living. 

Instead of investing in soil and water, Iranians could move towards high-tech and alternative energies and take advantage of 4,700 kilometers of their maritime border or historical Silk Road.

On the other side, the level of people’s contribution to protect the environment is not satisfactory. Though the number of NGOs over the past two years has increased from 400 to 780, the figure is nothing compared to a 70-million population.

Despite the fact that the article 50 of the constitution states future generations must be provided with a flourishing social life and that the protection of environment is a public duty and any activity which may damage or pollute the environment is forbidden, the soil, water, weather, and biodiversity all are not in a good condition.

And environmental challenges are posing serious threats to people’s social life affecting education, increasing depression, violence and even crime.

Q: Iran is moving fast towards having more and more deserts in the not-too-distant future. What measures do you think are needed to slow this process?

A: First of all, I need to explain that the deserts are not advantage or disadvantage per se. There are many countries in the world which are 100 percent desert, but they are among the richest in the world. Also, there are some countries 100 percent covered in jungle but they are among the poorest like Bangladesh. What is important in this regard is the attitude of the ruling body towards the management of its ecological capital.

In Arizona, for example, people used to grow corns bringing them $3,000 per hectare, but they replaced it with wind turbine and got $3,500 instead.

Iran’s deserts stand first among 243 countries on the earth for growing photovoltaic cell and solar panel. But to Iranians, a desert is a dead land due to thousand years of farming culture. Today, however, lands are valued at the amount of money obtained from them and desserts are the most popular tourist destinations in many places. 

But let’s turn to your questions. Of course we must take quick measures to slow the process of desertification and ecological debt. The most important reason we are moving towards ecological debt is because policies we have adopted for the development of our country is not in accordance with its ecological conditions.

Instead of investing in soil and water, Iranians could move towards high-tech and alternative energies and take advantage of 4,700 kilometers of their maritime border or historical Silk Road. Iran is among the five first countries in the world in terms of natural landscape and 10th for historical buildings and could easily attract 20 to 22 million tourists every year making revenue twice its oil industry.

Q: What is your department doing now to bring the ongoing environmental challenges under control?

A: Well, what we are currently pursuing seriously is raising a new generation with an eco-friendly attitude who never sign any deal or agreement that may endanger their environment in the future.

In this regard a memorandum of understanding was signed two years ago between Minister of Education Ali-Asghar Fani and Ms. Masumeh Ebtekar, head of the Department of Environment, according to which 96,000 teachers were trained and sent to schools to expose students indirectly to environmental activities. The efforts are being made for elementary levels to help student love their environment.

Besides, 44 environmental schools have been founded so far in Alborz province [in northwest Tehran] to have students engaged in environmental practices.

The department is also trying to raise awareness of parliamentarians, lawyers, artists and athletes and make them conscious of the dangers threatening the environment by supplying learning materials as well as setting up workshops.

However, the department is one of the weakest and poorest organizations inside the ruling system and cannot fulfill the responsibilities put on its shoulders. Though it has had the highest percent of budget increase during President Rohuani’s government, about 30 to 50, the figure is still meager because its basic has been low.