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Source: https://theconversation.com/irans-environmental-catastrophe-has-also-wrecked-its-economy-286591
Iran's Environmental Catastrophe Has Wrecked Its Economy
(The Conversation) Nima Shokri - The Islamic Republic has shown few signs of investing its resources toward fixing its expanding environmental problems. 11% of deaths and 52% of the burden of diseases in Iran are attributable to environmental risk factors, according to the World Health Organization. Excessive groundwater extraction has caused buildings and roads to crack and sometimes collapse. Iran's capital Tehran is ranked as having the worst levels of air pollution in the world. In 2025, local media reported 350 deaths caused by poor air quality within a ten-day period. Iran is now using its groundwater far faster than it can be naturally replenished. As a result, major lakes and wetlands are drying up. Lake Urmia - once the Middle East's largest saltwater lake - has dried out. Water shortages are undermining agriculture. The writer is Executive Co-Director of the Institute for Water, Environment and Health at United Nations University.