water contamination in Khuzestan.30 Furthermore, sugarcane, which induces high water consumption, contributes significantly to water scarcity in a land that already suffers from droughts and can result in soil erosion.31 The Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights stipulates that obligations under Article 12 of the ICESCR include “the requirement to ensure adequate supply of safe and potable water and basic sanitation; the prevention and reduction of the population’s exposure to harmful substances such as radiation and harmful chemicals or other detrimental environmental conditions that directly or indirectly impact upon human health.”32 Additionally, States should refrain “from unlawfully polluting air, water and soil, e.g. through industrial waste from Stateowned facilities”.33 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”.34 Furthermore, the Committee stated that it is a State Party’s obligation to protect people source of food and 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.35 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, including children’s. 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’, including children’s, access to water.36 37 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 30 The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/iran-blog/2015/apr/16/iran-khuzestan-environment-wetlands-dust-pollution The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/iran-blog/2015/apr/16/iran-khuzestan-environment-wetlands-dust-pollution 32 Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, E/C.12/2000/4, http://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=4slQ6QSmlBEDzFEovLCuW1AVC1NkPsgUedPlF1vfPMJ2c7ey 6PAz2qaojTzDJmC0y%2B9t%2BsAtGDNzdEqA6SuP2r0w%2F6sVBGTpvTSCbiOr4XVFTqhQY65auTFbQRPWNDxL 33 Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, E/C.12/2000/4, http://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=4slQ6QSmlBEDzFEovLCuW1AVC1NkPsgUedPlF1vfPMJ2c7ey 6PAz2qaojTzDJmC0y%2B9t%2BsAtGDNzdEqA6SuP2r0w%2F6sVBGTpvTSCbiOr4XVFTqhQY65auTFbQRPWNDxL 34 Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, E/C.12/2000/4, http://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=4slQ6QSmlBEDzFEovLCuW1AVC1NkPsgUedPlF1vfPMJ2c7ey 6PAz2qaojTzDJmC0y%2B9t%2BsAtGDNzdEqA6SuP2r0w%2F6sVBGTpvTSCbiOr4XVFTqhQY65auTFbQRPWNDxL 35 CESCR General Comment No. 12: The Right to Adequate Food (Art. 11) https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4538838c11.pdf 36 Equal Times, https://www.equaltimes.org/has-iran-mismanaged-its-way-into-a?lang=en#.X6i1Py9h1hF 37 Equal Times, https://www.equaltimes.org/has-iran-mismanaged-its-way-into-a?lang=en#.X6i1Py9h1hF 31 4