Climate change in Iran
Paired with rising temperatures, decreased availability of irrigation water would lead to significantly lower agricultural production, causing food shortages.
While annual precipitation is likely to decrease, the intensity and concentration of rainy days are expected to increase in the south, which can lead to flooding.
[20] Iran already has extremely high exposure to floods, landslides, and other natural disasters, ranking sixth in the world in natural-hazard vulnerability.
[23] In addition to putting it at greater risk of sea level rise, this can trigger extreme events such as earthquakes and tsunamis.
Government officials have recognized that over 100 million hectares of land in the country could turn to desert in the near future due to impacts of climate change.
[24] Because of this, the impacts of decreased precipitation in Iran provide even harsher ramifications than in other countries in the region, which already struggle with water allocation and efficiency.
[27] While current yields tend to be relatively stable, simulations done on the Mazandaran, Khuzestan, and Eastern Azerbaijan regions show how increasing temperatures and decreased precipitation could reduce output.
[28] The colder Eastern Azerbaijan province was the only one to potentially increase yields due to impending climate change (0-16%).
[29] With studies predicting a potential 35% decrease in annual precipitation, the supply of water available for agriculture could shrink significantly.
[32] Beyond trade, the economy faces major economic threats due to increased temperatures, with an estimated 1-23% GDP loss in the event of 3-4 degree celsius warming.
The main reason mitigation efforts have been slow in Iran is the impact of economic sanctions on the country and their reliance on natural gas and oil for revenues.
In fact, traditional architecture in cities like Yazd has withstood flooding far better than modern buildings, benefitting from design features like inverted inner courtyard-facing structures, windowless street-facing walls, and natural air filtration built on dome-shaped roofs.
"[42] The inherent design of qanats, provides a sustainable solution to water scarcity, a challenge exacerbated by climate change by mitigating evaporation as well as promote soil conservation.
Iran's approach to climate change adaptation and mitigation are governed through its impacts on its citizens, economy and its international commitments.
[44] Iran's Five Year development plan (2017-2022) highlighted environmental sustainability focusing on reducing green house gas emissions and funding clean energy projects.
[46] To reduce the impact of worsening health issues caused by climate change in Iran, policies that implement mitigation and adaptation techniques are necessary.
The impacts of climate change on public health in Iran necessitates evidence-based policy frameworks for mitigation and adaptation.
The workshop sought to find vulnerabilities in the current health sector to impacts like climate related disasters as well as vector borne diseases.
These activists and organizations face a significant threats including arrests as well as alleged interference from government authorities reflecting a broader political struggle.
