Item 3; ID with Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment
Sudwind acknowledges your efforts in the last 3 year to improve the vital right of the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment and hopes that this council extends your mandate as a special rapporteur. As mentioned in your report “a good practice should integrate human rights and environmental standards.” We regret to bring to your attention that good practices have not yet been fruitful in many regions but bad practices have already drawn the environmental situation to the borders of critical and catastrophic points. Pictures taken from space of some regions in the Caucasus, eastern Turkey and north-western Iran and specially a comparison among the lake Orumiyeh (Urmia) in Iran, Vaan in Turley and Suvan which are in close proximity demonstrate the good and bad practices. One of the worst ecological disasters (in Iran) is the gradual drying up of the lake Orumiyeh located at the northwest of Iran. This lake is the second largest hyper saline lakes in the world and the largest in the Middle East. The lake’s surface areas have reduced from 5000 km2 in average to less than 1000 km2 in September 2014, around 12% of its original size, mainly due to diversion of water for irrigation on up streams. The satellites photography of different years available on the internet will demonstrate a better visual idea of the size of the catastrophe. This drought left more than 4000 km2 as saline wasteland subject to easily windblown salt to urban areas and agricultural farms. Saline small particles blowing through the villages and cities surrounding the lake, such as Tabriz, have caused vegetation mortality, reduced vegetation growth, reduced crop yields, ill effects on wild life and domestic animals, respiratory illnesses, eye and throat problems and esophageal cancer among the population living in the area. In Ahwaz city in south-western region, acid rain has hospitalised many residents. Last month, dust storm was so intense that the whole city was covered in dust. In this, we can provide you with pictures taken of the city. Mr Knox, There were days with level of dust particles in Khuzestan over 2,335 micrograms per cubic meter and just 2 days ago in another south province Hormozgan, the level of dust particles reached over 1000 due to drying of Hawr-al-Azim wetland.
