Bonn Research Group Transformation and Development Policy – BFTE

Post Box: 300541,  Phone:  0049-228-973 9345,  E-Mail:  bfte@uni-bonn.de

Initiative Group Lake Urmia (IGLU) / C/O BFTE

Supplementary explanation of IGLU, Juni 2014

A  special account for Environmental Protection  in Iran

Droughts and erosion dry up the rivers and lakes and the disasters accumulate in Iran constantly. Smog and sandstorms in Teheran and other large cities are occurring often. The Urmia Lake is one of the largest inland lakes in the region and will soon dry up with dramatic consequences for nature and people. Water shortage is the drama of survival.

The necessary transformation of the traditional irrigation system of the Iranian agriculture is certainly a major cost and will demand a long-term strategy in order to cope with the necessary changes. These changes cover a wide field of effects and consequences, including high costs for the construction of new irrigation systems, compensations for a big number of affected farmers as well as funds for an increase of imports in order to balance temporary growing demand for foods – to name just a few consequences. At the same time the country is suffering under the comprehensive economic sanctions.

The current economic sanctions against Iran must take into account the impact on the critical environmental situation of the country. The urgency of environmental protection in Iran, the critical shortage of water and the necessary high costs for redesigning the irrigation system demand a differentiated and acceptable solution strategy that takes into account not only the ecological situations of the relevant areas, but also the social and economic concerns of the affected rural population.

We therefore propose that an additional quota and special amount of oil export revenues should be designated for this purpose, and its income should go into a special account. These funds are to be used by the Iranian Environment Organization and UNDP or  UNEP – with the participation of affected farmers – exclusively for environmental goals especially for the salvation of the Urmia Lake.
This policy would be in the spirit of the resolutions of RIO II for the environment and for sustainable environment policies in Iran and for the salvation of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Lake Urmia.

We, the members of the Initiative Group of Lake Urmia at the University of Bonn, are very

concerned and want to warn all decision-makers in Iran and abroad, to do everything that

the catastrophic environmental degradation and water shortage is prevented.

Initiative Group Lake Urmia – IGLU at the University of Bonn, Germany

Prof. Dr. A. Rahmanzadeh (Speaker),  Prof. Dr. Eckhart Ehlers,  Prof. Dr. Christian Opp,

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Armin Rieser,  Prof. Dr. Walter Schug,  Prof. Dr. Christian Uhlig,

Prof. Dr. Ernst Zurek, Prof. Dr. Eckhard Freyer