In the centre of the country, the city of Isfahan<\/a> is sinking as subsidence<\/a> swallows cars and pedestrians. Land subsidence is mainly caused by over-extraction of ground water<\/a> for agriculture \u2013 more than 90% of Iran\u2019s water is extracted for agricultural use. Many of Iran\u2019s iconic lakes<\/a> have turned into a bed of salt.<\/p>\n Even though schools and roads in Tehran were evacuated<\/a> in September due to their risk of collapsing<\/a>, international media coverage of this major environmental problem remains alarmingly low \u2013 limited mostly to local<\/a> and Persian-language diaspora outlets<\/a>.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, the country\u2019s southern provinces were blanketed by<\/a> sand and dust storms that sent thousands to hospitals and disrupted infrastructure. Again, this went mostly unreported outside Iran. <\/p>\n Wars and climate change are inextricably linked. Climate change can increase the likelihood of violent conflict by intensifying resource scarcity and displacement, while conflict itself accelerates environmental damage. This article is part of a series, War on climate<\/a>, which explores the relationship between climate issues and global conflicts.<\/p>\n There has also been little international coverage of the environmental impact<\/a> of the war on Iran.<\/p>\n In contrast, local media have reported<\/a> that Israel\u2019s missile attacks on oil depots close to Tehran released 47,000 tons of greenhouse gases into the city\u2019s atmosphere, causing air pollution. They claimed surface and groundwater systems, soil and wider ecosystems have all been damaged by the leakage of industrial wastewater, urban sewage and other forms of pollution including noise, vibration, radiation and heat \u2013 all of which pose a threat to the lives of humans, animals and plants.<\/p>\n For months, international news outlets have focused<\/a> their coverage of Iran on questions about its nuclear programme and worsening ties with the west. They have covered espionage<\/a>, sanctions<\/a>, cybersecurity<\/a> and Iranian officials\u2019 statements about uranium enrichment<\/a> and nuclear weapons. <\/p>\n This is not surprising. An analysis by the<\/a> Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford found that newsrooms covering the Middle East will mainly report on war and conflict. Other academic studies underline<\/a> that long-term but far-reaching environmental issues are far down their list of priorities.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Iran is being hit by a major drought.<\/p>\n Even inside Iran, the news media has largely concentrated on the war. During the conflict, conservative Iranian state-affiliated news outlets such as Tasnim, Mizan and Kayhan focused almost entirely on military developments<\/a> and official narratives<\/a> of \u201cnational defence\u201d and \u201cforeign threats.\u201d<\/p>\n But when the fighting ended, some Iranian newspapers, particularly those which advocate for gradual social, political and press freedom (along with the state-run IRNA news agency), started to cover the drought and water shortages<\/a>. The conservative Iranian news media outlets are now covering these stories a little, but less so than the reformist media, such as Payamema and Shargh.<\/p>\n Today, the Middle East faces some of the world\u2019s worst environmental<\/a> crises \u2014 including droughts, floods, sand and dust storms<\/a> with enormous consequences. Across Iran\u2019s provinces, many rivers and wetlands<\/a> have dried up. Air pollution is getting worse<\/a> and power cuts<\/a> are devastating lives and livelihoods.<\/p>\n What does the world know?<\/p>\n My research<\/a> looks at how the media reports<\/a> climate change across the Middle East and North Africa, and particularly in Iran. <\/p>\n I also write for news organisations about water<\/a> and climate change<\/a>. In doing this research, I have found that Iran\u2019s environmental problems are largely driven by decades<\/a> of government mismanagement and the overexploitation of water<\/a> resources \u2014 including excessive dam construction and groundwater use for agriculture<\/a>.<\/p>\n Even on the few occasions<\/a> when international media outlets have covered Iran\u2019s water crisis in recent months, the lead section of the coverage is often tied to the war. While reporting on war is essential to expose its human costs<\/a> and security, environmental coverage is equally important. Climate change will not pause for a ceasefire, and neglecting it risks overlooking a crisis<\/a> that affects everyone.<\/p>\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/file-20250814-61-f4cp3v.png\")
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