Dr. Ismail Kohram has been appointed as the advisor to the head of the Environmental Protection Organization in the Department of Natural Environment in the eleventh government by the decree of Masoumeh Ebtekar. This environmentalist and activist has a long record of scientific and executive activities, including teaching at universities and higher education centers, consulting for the Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic, managing the Wildlife Office of the Environmental Protection Organization of Iran, serving as a private environmental consultant in Iran and England, supervising biodiversity projects in various parts of Iran and England, and overseeing proposed projects by GEF and UNDP in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Organization of Iran.

Ismaeil Kohram criticizes the small budget of the Environmental Protection Organization in an interview with the “Peace Line” magazine and says that many of the organization’s plans face problems due to lack of capital and budget shortages…

Dear Kahrma, as the first question, please tell us what do you think is the biggest environmental challenge in Iran at the moment?

I believe the biggest challenge for us is first “water”, then “soil” and then “forests”; unfortunately, we consume water excessively. In fact, the balance of underground water is negative; in simpler terms, we do not replenish the same amount of water that we extract from underground sources. It’s like a bank account where you regularly withdraw, for example, ten thousand dollars a month but only deposit five thousand dollars, and eventually the account will run out and go into debt.

In terms of soil erosion, we rank first or second in the world and annually lose about 38 tons of soil per hectare. As for our forests, we lose 1.2% of our forests every year. This is a statistic announced by NASA, the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme.

When we lose the soil and forests, as a result, wildlife also decreases; because these are their habitats that unfortunately we are losing. Currently, some of our wildlife species such as “leopard”, “Iranian short-snouted crocodile” and “wild goat” or some birds like “black grouse” and “hoopoe” are at risk of extinction or are constantly decreasing. Therefore, these are the fundamental and very important environmental issues that make up our country.

Given the existence of drinking water problem in some cities of the country, has any specific planning been done to solve this problem and the overall water shortage?

We don’t actually have a problem with drinking water. Let me give you some statistics: 450 billion cubic meters of water enters our country and in this regard, we are in a good position in the region. However, we don’t have a plan for a large volume of this water and only 150 billion cubic meters are stored. Out of this 150 billion cubic meters, 93 to 94 percent is used for agriculture, 3 to 4 percent for industrial use, and a small percentage is used for drinking and direct human consumption. So we don’t have a specific problem with that 2-3 percent; even if people were to save 100 percent, our problem wouldn’t be solved and only that 2-3 percent would be included. Our problem lies in that 97-98 percent that we waste or misuse. We need modern irrigation methods. We are still using a system of agriculture and irrigation that was used during the time of Cyrus the Great! While

Of course, I should also mention that in comparison, the average Tehran resident uses 380 liters of water per day, while for example, a German uses 280 liters. Unfortunately, we use the very high-quality and scarce water of Tehran to wash our yards or cars, because they are not separated from each other. We have always been in a dry and semi-dry region, receiving 250 millimeters of rain per year, while the average rainfall in the world is 850 millimeters; meaning less than one third. Therefore, we cannot have a higher consumption than Germany as a European country…

As you are aware, according to the latest research by the World Health Organization, four cities in Iran are among the most polluted cities in the world and the problem of air pollution in Tehran continues to worsen. In your opinion, what effective solutions are there to overcome the air pollution crisis?

In the city of Tehran, we have guidelines to use clean energy to reduce pollution. For example, we use electric devices. Delhi has more cars and motorcycles than Tehran, but they use rechargeable batteries that do not produce smoke and can be charged at designated stations. As the second largest producer and holder of gas reserves in the world, we can use gas-powered cars. Vehicles must undergo technical inspections – currently, about 25% of cars have been inspected – to reduce the gas emissions. We can also increase the use of public transportation such as the metro and BRT buses to reduce the use of personal cars. A restricted zone has been created in the city center, where only 80,000 cars are allowed to enter according to the traffic plan. It is difficult to enter this zone and not everyone is given permission. This permission is given to public services, police, government officials, and taxis. We also have areas within the city that are larger than the restricted zone. These areas are

We must increase green space in this way. We have considered all these measures and are currently implementing them, but for example, when we come across a land of 11-12 million tomans per square meter in this green space development plan, it becomes a problem. How are we supposed to fund this expense? Currently, every resident of Tehran has about 17 square meters of green space, and the municipality and parks and green space organization are trying to increase this green space, but these efforts are slow. We are currently moving towards the outskirts of Tehran and areas above 1800 meters and are busy with reforestation in those areas to develop green space.

These are tasks that we can do step by step. Of course, many of these tasks have already been done, for example, out of the eight refineries we have in Iran, four of them produce Euro 4 gasoline, or we removed lead from gasoline overnight. Well, these are tasks that we have done and should continue to do.

In any case, we have 8 polluted cities after Tehran and Ahvaz, including Arak, Isfahan, Shiraz, Sanandaj, Kermanshah, and Yasuj, and we must use modern methods and technologies to clean up the air.

Therefore, do you not know the solution to Tehran’s air pollution problem, contrary to some officials, in transferring the capital?

No, unfortunately; the occurrence of such a problem in Tehran was predictable. It is a fact that the construction of so many towers and buildings attracts people to the capital, or when 33% of Iran’s industries were brought to Tehran. On the other hand, the capital must have certain characteristics, such as population, means of communication, roads, and suitable buildings, and currently no other city besides Tehran has these characteristics, and only Tehran has all these characteristics in all aspects. If we remove people from the capital, the second city will gain attractiveness and will still be troublesome.

In the field of reducing the population of a big city like Tehran, there was a time when sending an employee to a city like Zahedan was considered an extraordinary mission. Now, coming to Tehran should be considered an extraordinary mission; just like London, where sending an employee from a small city for a mission is considered an extraordinary mission due to its problems such as high cost of living and pollution, causing reluctance in the employee. Therefore, Tehran has reached a level of undesirability where people themselves will come here reluctantly. Now, on the night of Eid, the traffic is so heavy that it took me three hours to travel a distance of 3 kilometers; meaning one kilometer per hour…

One of the problems that people are facing these days is satellite parasites and their consequences. Why doesn’t the environmental protection organization take a clear stance on this issue?

See, Dr. Ebtakar expressed her opinion about parasites and took a stance against them. Parasites are a big problem and have various effects such as miscarriage and neurological diseases, but unfortunately we do not know the origin of their production and where they are. When you don’t know which of your neighbors is dumping garbage in the river, you can’t prevent it either.

Does that mean you really can’t find the source of parasites? It seems like this technology for detecting the origin of parasites must exist in Iran…

See, I am not certain that such technology exists, while we must first determine whether we are talking about the Environmental Protection Organization or the government of Iran! It’s not about the Environmental Protection Organization. We are not equipped with this tool. If the Environmental Protection Organization had this tool and could find the source, they would definitely do it, but we do not have such a tool at our disposal.

Dear Mr. Kahrarm,

Another question that has been raised regarding hunting is: Ms. Ebtakar has always emphasized in her interviews that hunting for recreation is not permissible and is not desirable, and this view is in line with Shia jurisprudence. However, I see that your organization issues hunting licenses that usually have a recreational aspect. Is this a contradiction between views within the Environmental Organization or a difference in management opinion?

The Environmental Protection Organization never asks anyone what their purpose of hunting is. Last year, four hundred hunting licenses were issued and we never questioned the hunters’ intentions. Yes, recreational hunting is not allowed in Islam, meaning that Islamic teachings do not permit taking the life of a living being for the sake of pleasure and enjoyment. However, it is up to the hunter to what extent they believe in these principles. I should also mention that all indications currently suggest that we will not issue hunting permits next year. This issue is still uncertain and under investigation because we are afraid that if we don’t issue hunting permits, those who are after hunting will still go and if this issue takes on a secretive form, it will not be controllable at all. This is a sensitive matter and we are hesitant and thoroughly examining all aspects of the situation.

Given the specific duties and objectives that exist within the structure of the country’s environmental protection organization as part of the governing body in managing the country, is the reason for the inefficiency of the organization in certain areas, such as the issue of air pollution, due to inadequate current or previous management planning or lack of coordination and cooperation between different government institutions, or the lack of necessary resources?

See, air pollution is a global issue. On the other hand, two million and eight hundred thousand cars and the same number of motorcycles, where each motorcycle produces pollution equivalent to eight cars, or an old car produces pollution equivalent to eight regular cars, have been dumped in the city and this causes pollution everywhere; the number of these vehicles is increasing day by day. I think the environmental protection organization is doing a good job with its limited budget and staff, but please note that the problem is very widespread and there are many pollutants. Therefore, the efforts of the environmental protection organization in addressing pollution and pollutants have unfortunately been lost.

Thank you Mr. Kahrarm for the opportunity you provided for us in the monthly magazine of “Peace Line”.