COVID-19 an Iranian Response to its Climate Change Crisis
Mankind‘s disrespect toward himself, future generations and other living beings is backfiring
Mankind‘s activities, his transgress, his bungle in nature has brought Mother Nature to extreme actions against her invasive species. She can’t recover herself anymore nor is it possible for her to keep the delicate balance of life. The speed of demolitions is much faster than rehabilitation. Mankind‘s failure in advancing its species with the wrong technology has caused a disturbing new order of nature.
This is serious! This is dangerous, for all living being on the planet, humans included. Our actions have situated life in absolute danger in the biosphere. Everything is affected, from the lowest sea beds to the highest mountain peaks, the entire atmosphere is affected.
But do not despair, we still have this precious opportunity to slow it down even reverse the course, or we can just go one with business-as-usual and disappoint our souls and our generations to come.
In Iran’s recent 40 years history, our temperatures have increased by roughly 2 degree centigrades, while Earth’s average temperature increase roughly 1.5 centigrades.
Increasing of the temperature lead to diminishing of about 20 percent of the rain fall. Snow, the participation source of many rivers in Iran has disappeared and faded away. Death of the lakes, rivers, wetlands and drought has deteriorated and it has brought ecosystems to dangerously new levels of sensitivity.
Iran is drying, continued and terribly. In recent years Iranian people encounter lots of natural disasters because of the Climate Change such as droughts, earthquakes, dust storms, floods, landslides, land subsides , land pits and massive land cracks, not to mention massive extinction of many exotic species and a rapid decline of biodiversity.
Our climate is changing and temperature are rising with noticeable diminishing of rainfall and sweet waters sources. Trees are dying in thirst in many parts of Iran and lands are starting to immolate in self-anguish .
The droughts are more painful that in the past, they are ruthless and unnatural, Climate Change is not natural, and this phenomenon is irrevocable.
An abnormal phenomenon. Iran is not drying only temporarily but it will dry permanently because of the global climate change catastrophe. It shows that there are great disasters are on the way and this is only the start of it. Unfortunately, despite large scale environmental disasters awaiting the people, it did caused governments or politicians to change course and revise or amend policies and decisions . Because of the government‘s indifference, very soon Iran will encounter crises on scales we have yet to imagine in our worst nightmares.
Iran is going dry, ecosystems are ever more sensitive while in recent years the Iranian people encountered natural and unnatural disasters mentioned above. But it also affected our collective health with diseases like cardiovascular diseases, respiratory system diseases and numerous types of cancer.
It is many years that scientists are warning of the climate change but politicians and capitalists look the other side or promise us with empty words. No real action.
There has been no effective action to control climate change or slow it down and they left everything business as usual.
Desertification and deforestation’s rate is rising due to Human avarice, stupidity and ignorance.
Using of underground water, over 700,000 Well Drilling and hundreds of stupid Damming like Gotvand Dam in Khuzestan, these crimes against Iran’s environment have killed all life and ecosystems in ponds, wetlands, lakes and rivers. Death of lakes has caused salty dust storms, which made farmlands sterile and barren.
From those arid and sterile farmlands, polluted chemical dust of fertilizers and poisons are rising up.
All those dust storms spread in the air and add to air pollution. The air has become increasingly carcinogenic and pose a real respiratory threat to our body system. Diseases have run rampant and our immune systems deteriorated.
Climate Change and the polluted air has caused emerging and reemerging infectious diseases which is a big threat for all living beings.
Outbreaks of previously unknown diseases. Known diseases that are rapidly increasing or geographic range in the last two decades. Persistence of infectious diseases that can not be controlled. Diseases like SARS, Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic fever, Ebola Virus diseases , MERS, and now — COVID-19.
The root of our health problem lies in the health of the planet. If we treat climate change correctly we will also treat our health correctly.
The water shortage problem in Iran made the government to think of seawater desalination — that is not the correct solution to our problem, it’s putting a bandage on a broken foot. Seawater Desalination will cause further disorderliness in marine life and the natural water cycle.
This disorderliness and Increasing of seawater salinity will cause doom and death and destruction of life in seas. One of their other ideas is to transfer Caspian seawater to other parts of Iran. This will destroy environment definitely this will be accompanied by deforestation for water transmission lines.
What on earth dear Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran are you doing?! Why are you wasting time in every crisis possible?!
The government did find time to issue thousands upon thousands of legal documentation allowing exploitation of underground water all over the country and around lakes. This is the story of untimely death of lakes in Iran. This is the story of extinction of animals and plants species here. This is the story of diseases, unemployment and poverty, here in Iran.
Governments dig above 16000 water wells only around Persepolis. Persepolis Palace being 2500- years-old heritage site, is the top destination in Iran and thousands of water wells are dug up in Persepolis but in top secrecy. But all these wells to keep people hydrated is putting one of the most precious world cultural heritage sites in dire circumstances of land subsidence. There are more water wells around Pasargadae and other cultural heritages sites than anywhere else in Iran. Underground water is been increasingly wasted in traditional farming around Persepolis and Pasargadae and all over the country, they even grow rice which is dangerous and cause even more sever land subsidence. Persepolis has located in Fars province which has the first rank in land subsidence in the world, with 54 Cm subsidence per year.
What a shame that this government does nothing to prevent disasters they themselves have created.
Our government’s complete disregard is making things even worse.
Instead of helping farmers replace modern systems of irrigation to save more water and energy, the government started increasing depth of water wells and dig more wells. There are about a million wells now all over the country and growing by the day.
This is hazardous! These are open cavities right below our feet. Underground water is those layer by layer of the ground we’re digging out. This puts our big cities in serious risk of land subsidence, land splits, big scary pits and more earthquakes.
According to record of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change “IPCC” ; the effects of Global Warming on lower latitude is twice more than higher latitude and because of this , when the temperature increase two degree in Europe, the Temperature in Iran will increase four degree. Climatologists researches, demonstrate that with each degree getting warmer, rain will decrease 15%. This means that when Iran‘s temperature increase 4 degree, the rain will decrease 60% or maybe more. If governments do not take serious actions right now to control Climate Change disaster and pollutants, the result will be even more catastrophic than right now. Life and biodiversity on earth as we know it will extinct.
During COVID-19 let us not forget the real issues at stake over here. Let’s not lose sight of the real catastrophes to come. Let us not be forgetful or ignorant regarding the true dangers. I hope, my fellow Iranians, that we can use the COVID-19 global pandemic crisis to tackle our environmental health issues.
Once we have healed earth, we have healed ourselves.
Namaste 🙏🏼
My name is Yootab (F.Zare) . I am an Eco Artist and Environmentalist. All of my artworks including Songs, paintings and sculptures are about Environmental issues, animals and world peace. When I was an Aviation Pilot and I was watching the death of lakes , rivers, jungles and our ecosystem from my aircraft , it broke my heart and it inspired me to warn people through my artworks. I tried to spread awareness via my art exhibitions in Iran and overseas. My artworks subject is Climate Change issue. I hold many art exhibitions in World Heritage Site of Persepolis Ancient museum, AAB Gallery Museum, World Heritage Site of Pasargadae, … in Iran and some in Africa and overseas.
My art intention is to unite people’s hearts to recover the earth. Our only home and habitat.
Although women’s voice is prohibited as a singer in Iran , I have made many songs with my own voice and lyrics undercover in Iran. All of my songs are about the World Climate Change , and in supporting of Animals, Environment and World Peace. Of course in Iran , the government did not let me to publish my songs only because I am a woman. I wish to send my Global Message to citizens of the planet through my songs. I wish people find the compassion key which has been lost and regain their passion and compassion and renew commitment.
Yootab (F.Zarei)
@YootabOfficial on Instagram
