Strategic Environmental Assessment in Iran: Challenges, Opportunities, and Its Role in Pollution Management

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

1 Graduate Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, P.O.Box 14155-6135, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Environmental Planning and Design, Environmental Science Research Institute Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/poll.2025.391423.2823

Abstract

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) plays a crucial role in integrating environmental considerations into national planning and decision-making. However, its successful implementation requires a robust legal, institutional, and financial framework tailored to national conditions. This study investigates the challenges and opportunities of implementing SEA in Iran, emphasizing its potential role in pollution management and sustainable development. Using a qualitative research approach based on Grounded Theory, in total, 12 individuals participated in the study, representing a cross-section of stakeholders from both policy-making and implementation sectors. The findings reveal that SEA’s effectiveness in Iran is hindered by political interference, weak institutional capacity, absence of standardized technical guidelines, deficiencies in legal and executive structures, lack of sustainable financial resources, poor environmental data quality, and inefficient decision-making processes. To address these challenges, eight strategic recommendations are proposed: (1) strengthening legal and executive frameworks, (2) enhancing specialized and organizational capacity, (3) ensuring sustainable financial resources, (4) increasing public participation and awareness, (5) improving environmental data management, (6) continuously updating EIA and SEA methodologies, (7) streamlining execution processes, and (8) establishing technical standards. Implementing these strategies will enhance SEA efficiency, reduce bureaucratic delays, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and improve transparency in decision-making. Furthermore, an improved SEA framework will contribute to reducing air, water, and soil pollution by ensuring proactive environmental risk assessments and integrating sustainability into development policies. This study highlights the urgent need for strategic, multi-faceted reforms to strengthen SEA governance in Iran and ensure its alignment with global environmental standards and pollution management efforts.

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References

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Pollution
Volume 12, Issue 1
January 2026
Pages 31-45

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