Ahmadreza Lahijanzadeh, Deputy for Marine and Wetlands Affairs at the
Department of Environment, announced the launch of several water reuse projects
in coastal industrial zones, describing the initiative as a “significant step
toward safeguarding the country’s marine environment.”
The first phase of the program has been initiated at petrochemical
facilities in the southern province of Khuzestan, Lahijanzadeh said.
Concurrently, an environmental assessment is underway to quantify the pollution
load entering the Mahshahr estuaries from nearby industrial units and to model
the dispersion of pollutants in the region.
“We aim to complete this assessment by year-end,” Lahijanzadeh noted.
“Efforts are already in motion to recycle both industrial water used by coastal
facilities and municipal wastewater that was previously discharged into the
sea.”
According to Lahijanzadeh, similar recycling initiatives have started
in urban wastewater systems, including a project in Bandar Abbas, which has
made notable physical progress. He added that other industries have also
recorded steady advances in implementing water reuse systems.
“These efforts will culminate in the inauguration of several major
projects this year,” he said. “Their completion is expected to result in
significant water savings and a marked reduction in pollutants entering the Persian
Gulf and other marine bodies.”
The projects reflect a growing push by Iranian authorities to align
industrial activity with environmental sustainability, particularly in
sensitive coastal regions where pollution from heavy industry poses a longstanding
challenge.