Climate change world’s ‘most pressing issue’: Vice President
The head of Iran’s Department of the Environment (DoE) emphasized the global significance of environmental issues in his talk at the 9th Conference of Environment Ministers in the Islamic World in Jeddah.
Ali Salajegheh emphasized that the Article 50 of Iran’s Constitution encompasses a vital and progressive principle that forms the foundation of environmental policies and strategies. This principle advocates for knowledge-based development and emphasizes the importance of how knowledge is generated and disseminated within the country.
Head of DoE also expressed gratitude to the Saudi Arabian government and educational organization for hosting the event. He acknowledged the role of education in shifting the dominant development-focused mindset of industrial societies towards sustainable thinking.
Salajegheh stressed that environmental awareness is crucial for changing attitudes and fostering sustainable values such as justice, equality, contentment, respect for nature, and the rights of all living beings. These values are deeply rooted in the religious and cultural teachings of the Islamic world and align with the principles of sustainable development, making them an effective model to propose.
The Iranian environmental official pointed to the importance of combining traditional value-oriented knowledge and culture with scientific rationalism, considering the changing world and the emergence of green development thinking.
“Both aspects are necessary to achieve balanced development,” he said. Furthermore, he brought to the fore the need for regional and international cooperation and collective participation due to the universal nature of environmental issues.
“The opportunity to exchange opinions and share experiences at this meeting should be seen as valuable for addressing common concerns,” he said.
The VP also discussed the effective measures taken in Iran to promote balanced development through education. Notably, the literacy rate in Iran has surpassed 90 percent, with faster growth among women compared to men. Additionally, rural areas have experienced higher literacy growth rates than urban areas. In terms of university education, the number of female students has exceeded that of male students, indicating progress in gender equality.
“The focus now is on improving the quality of education and enhancing practical skills,” Salajegheh said.
He further outlined various actions undertaken to integrate environmental topics into the official education system, implement extracurricular training programs, establish urban environmental assistants, and enhance the development of social capital and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the environmental sector.
“Currently, there are over 1,470 active environmental NGOs in Iran. These policies aim to expand community-oriented organizations and improve the quality of environmental activities,” the official said.
To further these efforts, DoE has initiated the establishment of “Environmental Houses,” which serve as local community-oriented organizations.
“These houses aim to raise environmental awareness, promote qualitative environmental growth, provide a platform for sustainable livelihoods, and encourage broad participation from all social and local groups in environmental planning,” Salajegheh said.
According to him, over 2,000 environmental houses have been established to date, facilitating conscious, voluntary, and effective public engagement in environmental protection and improvement.
Salajegheh then proposed several measures to strengthen the higher environmental education sector. These include establishing specialized environmental faculties, increasing scientific disciplines related to the environment, and conducting fundamental research through knowledge-based companies focused on environmental education. The goal is to implement the green development plan and promote environmental culture, with the aim of engaging people in protecting the environment and supporting environmental
activists.
Iranian scientist awarded
During the 9th Conference of Environment Ministers in the Islamic World, Lo’bat Taqavi, an Iranian environmental scientist won the Islamic World Environmental Management Award from the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO).
Taqavi, an associate professor of environment and energy department at the Islamic Azad University Science and Research Branch, was honored for being among the authors of the world’s most cited research in the field.