Allameh Tabataba’i University Strategic Recommendations for  Administrative Bodies

Allameh Tabataba’i University Strategic Recommendations for Administrative Bodies

Climate Change and Urban Environment: Challenges and Solutions for Air Pollution in the Metropolis of Tehran

Author
Department of Social Planning, Allameh Tabataba'i University
Abstract
Tehran's air pollution, as one of the most significant urban environmental challenges, has left extensive consequences on public health, the national economy, and social life quality, transforming into a strategic issue in urban governance due to its persistence and severity. Air pollution sources in Tehran are predominantly anthropogenic, related to transportation, industrial activities, and domestic emissions, imposing heavy costs on the country during peak pollution years, such as increased cardiovascular-respiratory diseases, cancer, neurological disorders, and economic damages. Problem analysis indicates that the primary challenge is not a lack of laws or bylaws, but rather weaknesses in regulation enforcement, the fragmentation of urban management, and the absence of institutional coordination among responsible agencies. Proposed strategies emphasize turning the pollution index into a criterion for evaluating urban management performance, moving toward integrated urban management, generating public demand through specialized meetings and virtual networks, and increasing managers' awareness regarding the social and economic consequences of pollution. Furthermore, adopting deterrent policies to reduce private vehicle usage (green taxes, increased parking fees, and tolls for high-consumption vehicles), strengthening public transportation alongside financial incentives, expanding electronic cities to reduce intra-city trips, reforming municipal revenues and reducing dependence on density sales, and upgrading vehicle technical standards and integrated technical inspection systems are proposed as key measures for the sustainable reduction of Tehran's air pollution.
Keywords