Iran’s regime, long criticized for its inefficiency in resolving both minor and major issues, faces what some observers regard as a severe crisis. Waste management, a critical concern, has spiraled into a nationwide issue, stretching beyond specific locations such as Saravan, Amol, Angilsi Babol, and Azadshahr. These sites, along with their leachates, are causing profound harm to Hyrcanian forests and the water and soil resources in Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan.
However, this environmental degradation isn’t confined solely to the northern provinces. Instances like Aradkuh near the capital, Safira east of Ahvaz, and Barmashor in Shiraz indicate systemic mismanagement across various regions.
Aradkuh landfill, nestled in Tehran’s Kahrizak district, has grown over 67 years, becoming a looming environmental issue in the capital. The stench emanating from this landfill, even noticeable on the way from Khomeini Airport to Tehran, is widely attributed to it.
In October of the preceding year, NASA released a report showcasing an image of the Aradkuh region, highlighting it as one of the Middle East’s largest producers of methane gas, a result of waste decomposition. Despite this, some of the regime’s officials, including Tehran’s mayor, Alireza Zakani, resorted to denial and mockery, dismissing NASA’s findings.
Dariush Golalizadeh, head of the National Weather and Climate Change Center, emphasized the significance of the methane cloud in the south of Tehran, countering Zakani’s claim by stating that the mayor might not have received accurate information.
Remarkably, Aradkuh, Iran’s most significant waste management site, lacks clear protocols for handling hospital waste. Its waste incinerator, under optimal conditions, only processes around 200 tons of Tehran’s 7,000 tons of waste, a meager 5%.
Saravan in Gilan province is renowned for its temporary landfill, which initially spanned 5 hectares of forest land as per a 1984 decision. But over 39 years, this landfill expanded to a distressing 25 hectares. Eventually, the residents, fed up with the odors and environmental fallout, protested by blocking garbage trucks in March 2022. Subsequent protests in May met with a forceful regime response, leading to arrests.
Amid these events, the regime’s agriculture minister promised to resolve this four-decade-long crisis within a year. A recycle plant, initially built at a cost of 7 billion tomans, suffered burial under waste due to improper placement, as highlighted by Masoud Nosrati, the former mayor of Rasht.
Despite subsequent efforts, such as the construction of the Shirabeh recycle plant for an additional 10 billion tomans, there has been little improvement in waste management in the region. Statements from officials, such as Masoud Kazemi, Deputy Governor of Gilan, claim progress at 35%, while Asadollah Abbasi, the governor of Gilan, reported 75% completion as of late October 2023.
The landfill in Saravan receives waste from various cities, including Rasht. While a considerable budget has been allocated for completing the Rasht incinerator, progress stands at a mere 15%, despite a $9 million loan.
The concern extends to industrial leachate entering Zarchob and Goharrood rivers, compounding environmental challenges. In cities like Ahvaz, managing waste amid scorching temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius during summer presents a heightened challenge. Allegations of corruption within the waste management administration persist, with no tangible solutions offered for managing the daily 850 to 1,000 tons of waste, exacerbating the issue.
The toll of forest destruction, surface and subsurface water pollution, and soil contamination, in addition to the expenses of waste management, renders Iran’s waste management one of the costliest and most inefficient systems.
Narges Azari, former director of the environment and urban office at the Presidential Strategic Studies Center, criticized the placement of the new recycle plant on a slope. She dismissed claims of leachate treatment as a mere theatrical performance in an interview with Payam-e Ma newspaper.
