Drought, increased population, war, air pollution, climate change, industrial and agricultural production, sanctions, inefficient water and natural resource use, and lack of enforcement of existing environmental regulations have contributed to Iran’s current environmental crisis. Insufficient water resources are forcing people to migrate, putting pressure on others. Aquifers are being drained. Air pollution has made living conditions in Iran’s cities increasingly challenging. Wind erosion is furthering the desertification of agricultural land, creating greater production demand on remaining arable areas. Biodiversity is under threat. On the other hand, Iran’s environmental future can be positively influenced by the collaboration of the public, private and non-profit sectors. Awareness and education, along with greater financial and human resources, will be necessary to tackle the problem. source : Morad Tahbaz

Sabalan Mountain located in Ardabil province is one of the highest mountains in Iran that have many natural hot water springs on its foot. For years many people visit there to swim in its springs for their therapeutic use. In last decades with rising of visitors’ number, many modern places opened there with spa and pool for tourists but these complex provide the water by mixing eighty percent of drinkable water with twenty percent of mineral waters to fill their pools. In spite of people know that, they continue using this spas and pools and waste this huge amount of pure water. Sar-e-ein – Ardabil province – Iran 2016

As soon as Western sanctions against Iranian oil imports took effect in August 2010, some petrochemical plants stopped a number of their products and dedicated those in common with other oil refineries, such as reformate, to producing gasoline. Although there has been much talking about how the use of petrochemical gas mixed with refined gas in some parts of the country has resulted in pollution, no research has proven such relationship. Undoubtedly petrochemical gas has a much higher octane rating compared to refined gas, and therefore has slower combustion and less visible pollution. This type of gasoline, however, contains aromatic compounds, benzene for example, which are cancerous. Notably, these compounds have no significant role in producing visible pollution. Petroleum ministry officials believe Tehran and other large cities do not consume petrochemically-produced gas, but gasoline from refineries nearer to them

Beside industrial and gas-base transporting’s air pollution, using gas-burn air conditioners increases global warming in big cities of Iran. Payetakht complex-Tehran - Iran 2012

Decreasing death rates caused by breathing disease, heart attack and cardiac arrest is one of the exact effects of air pollution in Iran. Shahid Radjayi Hospital – Tehran – Iran 2011

Tabriz (one of the biggest cities of Iran) was one of the cleanest places in this country. But low quality fuels, drought of Urmia Lake (150 km of Tabriz, north west of Iran) , low standard industrial activities & lack of governmental management turn this city to one of the most polluted cities in Iran in last decade. Pasdaran highway Tabriz – Iran 2008

Drought, lack of water sources, absence of agricultural management by government and soil erosion caused crisis in farming and animal husbandry in Iran therefore a massive population migrating from villages to town and cities that cause marginalization, unemployment and crimes such as drug selling and rubbery. Tabriz is one of the biggest cities of Iran that villager’s migration and marginalization changed its face in these last years. Tenike Darrasi – Tabriz – Iran 2008

Before Iran’s 1979 revolution until Iran-Iraq’s war, petroleum mulch dispersion in Iraq’s desserts was the solution for avoiding air dust (haze) invasions to west of Iran. But after Saddam-Hussein regime’s fall and Iraq’s civil war, this activity stopped and now this massive area in west of Iran suffers from haze’s air pollution most of the time. This picture shows martyr’s photos of Iran-Iraq war in Abozar garrison (used to be a military area turned to residential complex after war) Sarpolzahab (nearest town to Iran-Iraq border) Kermanshah province – Iran 2011

North Khorasan province in is one of the most drought-suffering areas in Iran. Because of water wells’ drought, locals faces a huge crisis and they forced to provide water for their animals by bringing it with tankers from cities. This picture shows one of their donkeys trying to reach water after one day of thirst. Nomads of this area breed donkeys so locals can transport drinkable water for their villages. Ashkhaneh – North Khorasan – Iran 2017

Fakhreddini villagers (that doesn’t have drinkable water at all) carry water with their donkeys of a spring 3 km away from their villages. Fakhreddini village – North Khorasan – Iran

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world and the best kind of it grows in Iran. But local farmers of Torbat Heydariye (one of the main places to grow saffron) have to buy water from around cities and towns with an expensive price so some of them trying to get water sources by digging deep wells that harm the environment and the others quit saffron farming. A huge percent of this expensive products profit goes to traders and exporters and farmers can’t live with that low income and high-price water source. Torbat Heydariye – Khorasan Razavi – Iran 2016

Sharafkhane port is one of Lake Urmia's ports. The port is in the suburbs of Shabestar in East Azarbaijan province. It is 20 km from Shabestar and 110 km from Tabriz, East Azarbaijan. As the lake started to dry up these ports have lost their function over time.

Bari touristic complex is a touristic complex located on Urmia Lake’s coast and on the 40 kilometer distance of Salmas-Urmia road and it was a spectacular collection of natural scenes. With lake’s drought in less than ten years it became deserted and abandoned like a ghost town. Bari Complex – Ghoshchi village – West Azarbaijan – Iran

Wooden hotel was built near Rahmanlou port of Lake Urmia, but it never hosted any guests Because Lake was dried out before its completion.

Samaneh Khabiri, 27 years old from Urmia.She suffers from respiratory disorders .Samaneh has been referred to several specialist and has been diagnozed" as seasonal allergy resulting from the Urmia's polluted air condition ;she has been recommended to change the place she lives in".In recent years there has been the reported evidence of respiratory disorders among the people living in the Urmia's dried Salt Lake adjecent neighborhood. The picture has neen taken in one of the dried almond garden near her home.

Mehdi Hamidi, 33 years old activist from Tabriz, is sentenced to 15 months in prison because of his activities to protest against the drought of Lake Urmia. After serving his sentence, he returned to study Sociology in Tabriz University. Lake Urmia has been a sensitive subject in Iranian politics for years. As recently as 2011, environmental protestors were jailed en masse for drawing attention to the catastrophic situation. This project is the result of a collective undertaking of Iranian photographers who hope to raise awareness about this tragic story.

Shows Iranians spending time in Urmia Lake near Urmia, North-western Iran. A family of bacteria called Halobacteriaceae may also play a role: These salt-loving organisms use a red pigment to absorb sunlight and convert it into energy, so large amounts of them in the water may be contributing to the ruddy hue. Lake Urmia’s color-changing process has happened before. Spring rains and melting snow from nearby mountains normally wash freshwater into Lake Urmia, helping to stabilize its salinity and thus its color. But as drought and agricultural use persist in the region, red waters may become a more common sight.