to harmful substances such as radiation and harmful chemicals or other detrimental
environmental conditions that directly or indirectly impact upon human health.”34
Additionally, States should refrain “from unlawfully polluting air, water and soil, e.g. through
industrial waste from State-owned facilities”. 35 Violations of Article 12 include the failure of
a State to “regulate the activities of individuals, groups or corporations so as to prevent them
from violating the right to health of others” as well as the failure “to enact or enforce laws to
prevent the pollution of water, air and soil by extractive and manufacturing industries”. 36
Furthermore, the Committee stated that the failure “to regulate activities of individuals or
groups so as to prevent them from violating the right to food of others” may well amount to a
violation of Article 11 of the ICESCR. 37
Despite legal guarantees aimed at protecting the environment of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
the province of Khuzestan continues to suffer from the environmental impacts of water
diversion, construction of dams and industrial activities, which exacerbate air pollution and
cause water shortages. Such activities not only damage crops and farms in Khuzestan, but also
negatively impact on its inhabitants’ health. The Government reportedly continues to pursue
inappropriate and much criticized water management plans to control the water crisis in Iran,
further worsening Khuzestan’s inhabitants’ access to water. 38 39 It should be noted, however,
that the crisis is not wholly of the government’s making. Islamic Republic of Iran suffers from
harsh meteorological conditions, such as droughts, which contribute to the decline of water
resources. Nonetheless, in 2016, UNESCO mentioned the Islamic Republic of Iran as the
main party responsible for the deterioration of the ecosystem of the wetlands in the country,
with two of them being located in Khuzestan in critical state.40 41 In 2019, the Government of
the Islamic Republic of Iran reported that it made significant financial investments to reduce
the effect of dust in Khuzestan Province on the environment, 42 yet the inhabitants of
Khuzestan still see their water resources decline as they are rerouted toward other provinces
and cities. Further, a significant number of protests against diminishing water resources and
34
Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, E/C.12/2000/4
http://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=4slQ6QSmlBEDzFEovLCuW1AVC1NkPsgUedPlF1vfPMJ2c
7ey6PAz2qaojTzDJmC0y%2B9t%2BsAtGDNzdEqA6SuP2r0w%2F6sVBGTpvTSCbiOr4XVFTqhQY65auTFbQRPWNDx
L
35
Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, E/C.12/2000/4
http://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=4slQ6QSmlBEDzFEovLCuW1AVC1NkPsgUedPlF1vfPMJ2c
7ey6PAz2qaojTzDJmC0y%2B9t%2BsAtGDNzdEqA6SuP2r0w%2F6sVBGTpvTSCbiOr4XVFTqhQY65auTFbQRPWNDx
L
36
Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, E/C.12/2000/4,
http://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=4slQ6QSmlBEDzFEovLCuW1AVC1NkPsgUedPlF1vfPMJ2c
7ey6PAz2qaojTzDJmC0y%2B9t%2BsAtGDNzdEqA6SuP2r0w%2F6sVBGTpvTSCbiOr4XVFTqhQY65auTFbQRPWNDx
L
37
CESCR General Comment No. 12: The Right to Adequate Food (Art. 11), https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4538838c11.pdf
38
Equal Times, https://www.equaltimes.org/has-iran-mismanaged-its-way-into-a?lang=fr#.XyrH2fgzbfY
39
Equal Times, https://www.equaltimes.org/has-iran-mismanaged-its-way-into-a?lang=fr#.XyrH2fgzbfY
40
UNESCO, http://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6794
41
The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/iran-blog/2015/apr/16/iran-khuzestan-environment-wetlands-dustpollution
42
Report of the Secretary General on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, February 2019,
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G19/028/77/PDF/G1902877.pdf?OpenElement
4