Departamento de Medio Ambiente (Irán)

El Departamento de Medio Ambiente de Irán ( en persa : سازمان حفاظت محیط زیست) es un organismo gubernamental bajo la supervisión del presidente . Es responsable de los asuntos relacionados con la protección del medio ambiente.

Los orígenes del departamento se remontan al Club de Caza de Irán, fundado en 1956. Posteriormente, se convirtió en una organización que supervisaba las actividades de caza y pesca en el país. En 1971, la organización cambió su nombre al actual y, cabe destacar, fue sede de la Convención de Ramsar sobre Humedales de Importancia Internacional en la ciudad de Ramsar ese mismo año.

Hoy la organización mantiene una lista de cuatro tipos de áreas protegidas como sigue: ^{[ 1 ] [ 2 ]}

• 23 parques nacionales , incluidos los parques nacionales de Kavir , Touran y Tandooreh ,
• 32 Monumentos Naturales Nacionales , incluidos los montes Damavand , Sabalan , Taftan y Alam-Kuh ,
• 37 Refugios de Vida Silvestre , incluidos los Refugios de Vida Silvestre de Hamoon y Miandasht , y
• 117 áreas protegidas , entre las que se incluyen los montes Dena y Alvand , el lago Parishan , los ríos Jajrood , Karkheh y Haraz , y Arasbaran .

El Departamento de Medio Ambiente de Irán (DOE) tiene sus orígenes en el Club de Caza de Irán, fundado en 1956 para regular las prácticas de caza y proteger la vida silvestre. Con el tiempo, la creciente conciencia sobre los desafíos ambientales condujo a un mandato más amplio. En 1967, el club se transformó en el Consejo de Caza y, tan solo cuatro años después, en 1971, se estableció el Departamento de Medio Ambiente moderno. Ese mismo año, Irán fue sede de la histórica Convención de Ramsar sobre Humedales de Importancia Internacional, lo que posicionó al DOE como pionero en la gobernanza ambiental internacional en el Sur Global . ^{[ 3 ]}

A lo largo de su historia, el Departamento de Energía (DOE) ha estado estrechamente vinculado a la estructura política iraní. Su director es nombrado vicepresidente y miembro del Gabinete, lo que refleja la elevada posición del departamento en la toma de decisiones nacionales. El DOE ha estado dirigido por una amplia gama de directores, incluyendo científicos, tecnócratas y exoficiales militares, lo que indica cambios en las prioridades políticas y los enfoques de la gobernanza ambiental. ^{[ 4 ]}

A key figure in the institutionalization of environmental governance in Iran was Eskandar Firouz, who is widely regarded as the architect of the country’s modern environmental system. As the founding director of the Department of Environment, Firouz played a central role in transitioning the Hunting Club into a national agency with legal authority to protect natural areas, regulate hunting, and oversee environmental planning. His scientific background and global perspective helped shape Iran’s early environmental policies, including the drafting of laws that placed Iran among the first countries in the region to adopt modern conservation frameworks. Firouz’s efforts were supported by Prince Abdolreza Pahlavi, the brother of Mohammad Reza Shah and head of the Hunting Club, whose political influence and interest in wildlife conservation were instrumental in securing royal support for the creation of the Department. This collaboration between Firouz’s expertise and Abdolreza’s political backing laid the foundation for the DOE’s formal establishment in 1971.^[5][6]

The mission of the DOE is to protect and improve the environment of Iran for present and future generations. This includes the conservation of biodiversity, management of natural resources, environmental education, pollution control, and coordinating with international environmental agreements. The department also oversees the designation and management of Iran’s protected areas, including national parks, wildlife refuges, and natural monuments, and works to ensure sustainable development in harmony with ecological principles.

In recent years, the DOE has emphasized climate change adaptation, dust storm mitigation, water resource protection, and community participation in conservation. As of the 2020s, there has also been a growing focus on environmental justice, the role of local communities, and integrating traditional ecological knowledge into national environmental strategies.

The Department of Environment (DOE) is led by the Head of the Department. The head of the DOE is at the same time, vice president in environmental affairs, a member of the cabinet and is directly reporting to the President. The current head of DOE is Shina Ansari.

The Department of Environment is organized into several specialized divisions, including Natural Environment, Human Environment, Marine Environment, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Management Development, and Public Education and Participation. Each of Iran’s provinces hosts a regional DOE office (referred to as “General Directorate”), which supervises county-level offices and national park stations within its territory.

Since its transformation into the Department of Environment in 1971, the DOE has been led by a series of individuals with varying backgrounds. The following is a list of past Heads of the DOE: ^[7]

• Eskandar Firouz (1972–1977) – Considered the founder of Iran’s modern environmental administration
• Manouchehr Feyli (1977–1979)
• Abbas Sami'i (1979)
• Taghi Ebtekar (1979–1981)
• Reza-Hossein Mirza-Taheri (1981–1985)
• Hadi Manafi (1985-1997)
• Masoumeh Ebtekar (1997–2005; 2013–2017) – First woman vice president
• Fatemeh Javadi (2005–2009)
• Mohammad-Javad Mohammadizadeh (2009–2013)
• Isa Kalantari (2017–2021)
• Ali Salajegheh (2021–2024)
• Shina Ansari (2024–present) – Current head, with a background in environmental administration

• Economy of Iran
• Environment of Iran
• Government of Iran
• Wildlife of Iran

• Official website of the Department of Environment (Iran) – English version