New drilling operations and road widening in the Yaran oil field within the Hawizeh Marshes, launched without authorization from Iran’s Environmental Protection Organization and with only approval from the Khuzestan Province Security Council, have been identified as a serious threat to the marsh’s ecosystem and migratory species.
According to Payam-e-Ma newspaper, new oil well drilling in the Yaran field has commenced without approval from the Environmental Protection Organization.
The report states that in a session of the Khuzestan Provincial Security Council on September 7, during the final days of the former governor’s tenure, these drilling permits were issued without environmental assessments. The projects were implemented in collaboration with an oil contractor and the Khuzestan Governor’s Office.
The transboundary Hawizeh Marshes, the last remnant of Mesopotamian marshlands, span over 300,000 hectares, with one-third located in Iran and two-thirds in Iraq. This marshland holds significant ecological value, particularly as a habitat for thousands of migratory birds, including flamingos.
According to Ahmadreza Lahijanzadeh, Deputy for Marine and Wetland Environmental Protection in Khuzestan, in 2008, more than 7,000 hectares of the Hawizeh wetlands were allocated to the Oil Ministry for the first time. With approval from the Supreme National Security Council, large sections of the wetland were drained to facilitate cheaper oil extraction by Chinese firms.
He cited the blocking of the Shatt Al-Ali bridge and the draining of pools 3, 4, and 5 in 2010 as major damages to the Hawizeh Marshes, stating, “These actions turned the marshland bed into a dust source in Khuzestan.”
The Yaran Oil Field
The Yaran oil field (North and South), covering around 110 square kilometers west of the Azadegan oil field within the Hawizeh Marshes, is under the jurisdiction of the Azadegan field. Its first exploratory well was drilled in 2009.
The northern part of the Yaran oil field contains 22 wells, while the southern part has 18 wells. Infrastructure projects, including pipelines and transport facilities, have also been implemented.
To date, the Azadegan field, authorized for only 75 oil wells, has drilled over 300 wells in the Hawizeh Marshes. Reports indicate that oil executives plan to add another 420 wells in this area.
Evading Environmental Assessment
Lahijanzadeh stressed that the Oil Ministry must present a comprehensive plan for marshland conservation and conduct Environmental Management Plans (EMP) before any new development in the Yaran field. However, drilling has commenced without these assessments, and oil companies have recently communicated with the Environmental Protection Organization to exclude environmental assessments for these wells.
The Hawizeh Marshes, with their rich diversity of plant and animal species, remain a top environmental concern for activists in Iran.
Preservation and monitoring of this marshland are considered public rights, and any encroachment not only violates environmental rights but also contravenes the principles of public rights in Iran.
