Iran is facing a major water crisis, widespread drought, hazardous air pollution in its main cities, dust storms and drying up of lakes and aquifers. In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, who heads the country’s Environmental Protection Organization, outlined her views on these challenges — and how to confront them.

Ebtekar was the first person who officially spoke about the negative impact of interferences with satellite TV signals on the health of Iranians. She believes that the environment was far from among the top priorities of the previous administration of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In this vein, Ebtekar argued that the revived focus on the environment following the election of President Hassan Rouhani has resulted in tangible efforts to combat Iran’s myriad environmental problems. She also said that one outcome of the latter has been successful engagement with international partners and enlistment of their assistance in confronting environmental degradation in Iran.

Asked about the potential impact of the anticipated lifting of sanctions, Ebtekar said, “European companies have shown a lot of interest in investing in areas such as renewable energy, waste management and recycling, water and air purification, energy efficiency,” emphasizing that “some of the damage done to the country’s environment was caused by unfair sanctions,” which she said resulted in “limited resources and delay in transitioning to green technology.” Of note, Ebtekar also argued that Iran’s environmental problems are partly caused by climate change. However, she added that mismanagement of water resources and problematic dam projects are part of the problem.

Lastly, Ebtekar emphasized that the international community must come together: “The environment is a global and borderless issue. It is necessary for countries to collaborate with each other, exchange information, experiences and research results regarding technology transfer and green trade.”