Research says US sanctions cause rise in pollution in Iran

Researchers at the Center for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London acknowledge that sanctions do not independently cause environmental degradation in a targeted nation, but the secondary impacts of sanctions can inadvertently act as “catalysts” that lead to environmental issues, BOL News learnt.

Shirin Hakim, a PhD scholar at Imperial College London studying the impact of sanctions on Iran’s environment, says sanctions have gone as far to target critical sectors of the country’s economy, such as the energy, shipping, automotive, aviation and financial sectors, which are crucial to sustainable development and human prosperity.

Dr Shirin Hakim retweeted this on Twitter.

Symposium on Political Economy of #Sanctions with economic and political experts.
Thanks to all participants, speakers and discussants for the great 2 days in #Marburg. @cnms_mr @Interaktion_UMR @MaysamBehravesh @yarbatman @lgcerioli pic.twitter.com/G7hfSZzC12

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— Mohammad R. Farzanegan (@MR_Farzanegan) December 14, 2019

“Water scarcity has entered a critical phase, partially due to decades of isolation, mismanagement of local resources and the consequence of prolonged drought,” Hakim also said.

“As a consequence of sanctions, Iran has been effectively severed from the international banking system and many of its crucial assets have been frozen abroad,” Hakim told Anadolu Agency.

Professor of Economics of the Middle East Mohammad Farzanegan also tweeted,

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1/Political Economy of #Sanction (first day): I presented a background on the event which was part of a research funded by @HenkelStiftung. Keynote talk by van Bergeijk was on the success and failure of economic sanctions. It provided a powerful starting point for the symposium. pic.twitter.com/wAp9BP4UM0

— Mohammad R. Farzanegan (@MR_Farzanegan) December 15, 2019

Highlighting the economic relations and investment cooperation between Iran and Japan after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, including the close environmental consultations at present, the president said the “cruel US pressures and illegal sanctions” have caused a reduction in the ties between Tehran and Tokyo.

“This (American) move and the sanctions won’t be steady, and all countries in the world want to have close and good relations with Iran, particularly the countries with which we’ve had good ties traditionally,” Rouhani added.