Iran’s Soil Smuggling Continues Disguised as “Flower and Cement Exports”
A faculty member of the Soil and Water Research Institute has warned that smuggling of Iranian soil to Persian Gulf countries continues under the guise of “ornamental plant exports” or “disguised as cement shipments.”
Dr. Hossein Besharati, a faculty member of the Soil and Water Research Institute, told the ISNA news agency on Monday, December 26 (December 17), that the smuggling of Iranian soil, which began several years ago, continues unabated.
According to Besharati, “A group of profit-seeking individuals collect the country’s fertile soil under various pretexts and export it to Persian Gulf countries for the purpose of building artificial islands.” The researcher added that this activity is carried out under the guise of exporting ornamental plants and sometimes disguised as cement exports.
Besharati described this issue as “a disaster for the country” and noted that while it may not show its effects in the short term, “future generations will not easily overlook this matter and will not forgive us.”
This soil and water researcher emphasized: “We hope that officials take the issue of soil smuggling seriously, as soil is a non-renewable or slowly renewable resource, and the formation of even one centimeter of it takes years.”
The issue of Iranian soil smuggling abroad, particularly to Persian Gulf countries, has repeatedly made headlines in recent years, and the country’s scientific authorities have issued warnings in this regard.
It is reported that soil from rangelands and agricultural lands in Iran, particularly from southern provinces including Fars Province, is being transferred to Persian Gulf littoral countries, especially the UAE and Qatar. According to reports, this soil is used in the UAE for building artificial islands and in Qatar for sea drying. According to experts, the smuggling of Iranian soil began in the 1980s and continues to this day.
Smuggling of Mineral Soils
ISNA news agency, in a conversation to clarify this issue with Ali Moridi, director of the Water and Soil Office of the Department of Environment, asked whether soil is being smuggled from Iran. Moridi replied: “We have the smuggling of rangeland and agricultural soils, but I have not received any reports regarding the smuggling of mineral soils.”
According to Moridi, this process began in the 1980s, but has been somewhat controlled due to decreased demand and increased sensitivity. He also warned about the high value of the country’s mineral soils and said: “Mineral soils, which are used for the production of steel, iron, and copper and have high economic value, are exported from the country as part of official exports through legitimate channels.”
Considering the high value of the country’s mineral soils, Moridi assessed this as a blow to both the environment and Iran’s economy.
Radio and Television News Agency reported on Saturday, December 24, citing Ali Moridi, that last year the soil bill was approved in the Islamic Consultative Assembly and will be announced next month. According to him, with the announcement of this law, soil smuggling, erosion, soil pollution, and formal and raw exports will be prevented.
The director of the Water and Soil Office of the Department of Environment noted that in recent years, partly due to public sensitivities, soil smuggling has decreased significantly. He expressed hope that with the new law, “the use of raw products and the destruction of our country’s natural resources will be reduced.”
Source: DW
