Environmental issues in Iran

Iran is one of the world's largest and most densely populated countries, spanning an area of approximately 1.7 million sq. km and a population of 91.5 million. Since 1966 Iran has experienced immense population growth, initially being recorded at 25,781,090 people, and totaling to 75,330,000 in 2010. The various climates, increased population growth, heavy reliance on fossil fuels, and refusal to commit to sustainability goals has extenuated Iran's vulnerability to ecological crisis and climate change.

Environmental issues in Iran include, especially in urban areas, vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents which contribute to poor air quality. A report by the United Nations Environment Programme ranked Iran at 117th place among 133 countries in terms of environmental indexes.^[1][2] Water scarcity is also a concern since the increased temperatures and fluctuating precipitation levels associated with global warming can result in droughts or flooding that will further degrade the water availability.