Publication: Air Pollution in Tehran: Health Costs, Sources, and Policies
Date
2018-04
ISSN
Published
2018-04
Author(s)
Abstract
Tehran, the capital of the Islamic
Republic of Iran (IRI), is located in the north of the
country with a population of about 8.5 million. The
population can reach over 12.5 million during the day, with
people from nearby cities commuting daily to Tehran for
work. There are more than 17 million vehicular trips per day
in Tehran, and many of the vehicles have outdated
technology. Thus, the air in Tehran is amongst the most
polluted in the world. Topography and climate add to the
pollution problem. Tehran is at a high altitude and is
surrounded by the Alborz Mountain Range, which traps
polluted air. Temperature inversion, a phenomenon
particularly occurring during the winter months, prevents
the pollutants from being diluted. Several recent trends
indicate that reducing air pollution will not be straight
forward: rapid population growth (partially due to migration
from other cities), industrial development, urbanization,
and increasing fuel consumptionare pressure points for clean
air in Tehran. To design an effective approach to air
pollution management, it is important to diagnose the
problem, determine its sources, and identify affordable and
sustainable solutions. This discussion paper provides an
overview of the seriousness of air pollution in the city of
Tehran; quantifies its impact in terms of health and
economic costs; identifies the sources of pollution; and,
finally, provides a framework to addressthe problem.
Citation
“Heger, Martin; Sarraf, Maria; Heger, Martin Philipp. 2018. Air Pollution in Tehran: Health Costs, Sources, and Policies. Environment and Natural Resources Global Practice Discussion Paper;No. 6. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/29909 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”