Environment

RFL/RE – Reports from Iranian state television say a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck the province of Kermanshah in western Iran on August 9.The reports say the earthquake was centered in the county of Gilan-e Gharb in the Kermanshah Province.There were no immediate details about casualties or damage caused by the earthquake. Based on reporting by Reuters and Iranian state television

news.un.org – An 18-year-old environmental campaigner from the United States has told UN News how she wants to “turn apathetic people into climate activists”. Sophia Kianni, whose family originally comes from Iran, is one of seven young people from across the world who have been selected to participate in the UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. The group …

Radiofarda – Public uproar over news that vast lands around Damavand Mountain, a national symbol was handed over to a religious endowment has forced the state to reverse its decision and return the land to government ownership. Hamshahri newspaper in Tehran reported on Sunday, July 26, that an official title deed had been issued to Iran’s Endowment and Charity Organization …

atlanticcouncil.org – Iran has been ravaged by hundreds of brush and wildfires spreading across thousands of acres since May 22. The phenomenon is not entirely new but, the number of fires have increased by 2.5 percent compared to last year at this time. The fires have raised questions and concerns as to whether they were caused by accident or arson. The Arasbaran forest in northwestern …

phmuseum.com – With her project, photojournalist Solmaz Daryani underlines the harsh effects of climate change on the landscape, people and their economy in the south-east region of Iran. Iran is suffering from a socio-economic drought, where water demand exceeds the natural water supply. My country is facing a severe and protracted water crisis, and desertification as lakes and rivers once-fertile …

PayvandNews – Mount Damavand, the highest peak in Iran, is located northeastern Tehran, but today, it is facing many environmental problems and challenges. Environmental enthusiasts believe that with the inclusion of Damavand National Day in the official calendar of the country, more attention should be paid to this unique natural phenomenon, while unfortunately no action has been taken so far. …

RFL/RE — Three environmental activists have died in western Iran while trying to extinguish wildfires in a mountainous area close to the border. The three — Mokhtar Khandani, Yasin Karimi, and Balal Amini — died on June 28 in the Hawraman region in Kermanshah Province, Iranian media reported. Kaveh Madani | کاوه مدنی✔@KavehMadani شهیدان سبز #پاوه 1,0248:33 AM – Jun …

PayvanNews – Alborz Zare’ei, a 38-year-old environmental enthusiast and climber, who was helping extinguish a wildfire in the southwestern part of the country, lost his life after 18 days of suffering from burn wound infection. Alborz Zare’ei On May 28, a wildfire broke out in several protected areas in the provinces of Khuzestan, Bushehr, Lorestan, Kohgiluyeh, and Boyer-Ahmad, including Khaeez …

Radiofarda – Conspicuous tweets by two environmental journalists in recent days reveal possible pressures on social media influencers to refrain from public criticism of unfair arrests and trails. The journalists abruptly changing their previous positions came out supporting the verdict against Morad Tahbaz, a jailed Iranian-American ecologist. This has given rise to concerns over pressure on journalists to drop reporting …

Al-Monitor – Wildfires broke out in southwestern Iran during the last week of May and clawed their path up north and west, spreading across much of the Zagros Mountains and leaving behind a trail of irreparable destruction to the already endangered environment. The flames have died down, but there is a heated debate among Iranians about the wildfires. Were they a natural disaster or the …