TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) has set November 6 as the deadline for submitting entries for the 14th National Environmental Award, which will be held this year under the theme “Healthy Environment, Sustainable Future,”.

The award aims to develop the culture for environmental conservation, promote environmental values, identify successful people and effective methods, encourage creativity, support innovative environmental solutions, and raise public participation, doe.ir reported.

The projects that focus on preventing pollution and environmental degradation while lowering costs, safeguarding and restoring endangered plant and animal species or a valuable habitat that is facing degradation, conducting studies on effective strategies for preserving the environment, enhancing environmental awareness, and implementing measures to prevent incidents arising from environmental crises are among the projects to receive the award.

‘Environmental protection is a pillar of national and social security’

In September, President Masoud Pezeshkian described environmental protection as a key pillar of the country’s national and social security, stressing that the preservation of natural resources must be addressed within this framework.

Speaking at a meeting with environmental experts on September 3rd, Pezeshkian said the government was prepared to create the necessary conditions for using the plans, ideas and initiatives put forward by environmental activists and specialists.

He added that the government would support scientific and practical solutions for addressing the country’s real environmental challenges, IRNA reported.

Pezeshkian emphasized that tackling environmental problems requires close cooperation among the government, universities, the private sector, civil society organizations and the public.

“This shared capacity must be used to move toward sustainable governance, balanced development and the protection of the country’s resources for future generations,” he said.

The president also identified education and public awareness as key elements in reforming consumption patterns and protecting the environment.

“If we invest in properly educating the next generation, we are in fact investing in the future of the country,” Pezeshkian said.

He warned that without educating children and teenagers from an early age about environmental protection, efficient use of water and electricity, energy management and social responsibility toward natural resources, future generations could repeat patterns of environmental degradation, even if significant resources are spent on environmental protection today.

Pezeshkian stressed that environmental awareness should begin at school, saying that teaching students how to use water, electricity, gas, and other natural resources responsibly should be incorporated into the educational and developmental process.

Other issues raised during the meeting included prioritizing the reuse and recycling of water, strengthening the role of environmental experts in agriculture and water-use efficiency, preventing excessive extraction of mineral resources, and making greater use of universities in addressing environmental challenges.

In June, the head of the Department of Environment (DOE), Shina Ansari, elaborated on different measures taken to address environmental challenges, saying that national security cannot be realized without paying attention to the environment.

Environmental degradation, air and soil pollution, and the destruction of protected areas have shown that environmental security is directly tied to national security, she noted.

Over the past Iranian year (March 2025 –March 2026), apart from environmental challenges like drought, climate change, and dust storms, the country went through complicated situations experiencing the irreparable harms caused by the two imposed wars (the 12-day war in June last year, and the recent 40-day war) on civilian, cultural, and environmental infrastructures, Ansari said.

“Despite all these challenges, the Department of Environment has stood by the people and the country, striving to mitigate the adverse impacts and strengthen national security.”

The national resilience depends on environmental security. Without clean water, air, fertile soil, and sustainable biodiversity, it is impossible to talk about sustainable security, Ansari added.

MT/MG