The Islamic Republic of Iran signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992 and ratified the Convention in 1996.

Article 4 of the Convention specifies that all parties, given their national and regional priorities, are committed to report their anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by source and removal by sinks(those gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol) to the Conference of Parties(COP) on a periodical basis. For better comparison, these reports must be prepared on the basis of methodologies given by the Intergovenmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), designated by COP, to provide the guidelines. It also specifies that the Parties must regularly update their programs and measures for the reduction of GHG emissions and implement them.

The project for “Enabling the Islamic Republic of Iran to Prepare its First National Communication” for submission to the COP of UNFCCC was initated in January 1988 with financial support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the cooperation of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and under the auspies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, serving as the project focal point. This project is being implemented in line with Iran’s commitment vis-à-vis the Convention.

In this direction, Iran’s National Climate Change Office was established in the Environmental Research Center of the Department of Environment at Pardisan Park in Tehran. The Office is equipped with information, books, articles, softwares and the internet sites relevant to the climate change issue. Those interested in the membership of the office site can receive a variety of news and information regarding climate change. To contact us, you can send email to info@climate-change.ir.

As part of its commitments to the Convention, Iran’s Initial National Communication was prepared in five chapters as specifed below:

1. National Circumstances
2. National GHGs Inventory
3. National GHGs Mitigation Policies
4. Vulnerability & Adaptation Assessment
5. National Proposed Strategies to Address Climate Change.

Before submission to the Convention Secreteriat, this National Report was reviewed, assessed and approved by the project’s Steering Committee comprising of the representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Petroleum, Energy, Jehad-e-Keshavarzi (Agriculture), Industries and Mines, the Meterological Organization, and Remote Sensing Organization, chaired by the Deputy Director of the Department Environment. (Download the report as a PDF file.)

Several working groups in the areas of energy, industrial processes, forestry and rangeland, agriculture, meoteorology, water resources, health, coastal zones, waste (solid and liquid), and public awareness have collaborated with the Climate Change Office to prepare the National Communication.

The members of the working groups have been selected from among relevant institutions such as Sharif University of Technology, University of Tehran, the Institute for International Energy Studies affiliated with the Ministry of Petroleum; Bureau for Environmental Affairs of the Ministry of Petroleum; OPEC Affairs at the Ministry of Petroleum; Bureau for Environmental Affairs of the Ministry of Energy; the Research Center for Water Resources at the Ministry of Energy; the Energy Efficiency Organization; the Organization of Forestry and Rangelands; the National Center for Oceanography of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology; the Ministry of Agriculture; and the Ministry of Health.

The Late Dr. Taghi Ebtekar, professor at the University of Tehran, served as the first National Project Manager . After Professor Ebtekar’s demise, Dr. Mohammad Soltanieh, professor at Sharif University of Technology has undertaken the responsibility of managing the project. The project manager can be reached at msoltanieh@kanoon.net.

Mr. Mohammad Khesali from the Ministry of Petroleum serves the project as the administrative assistant to the project manager.

Contributors

In preparing Iran’s Initial National Communication and in establishing the National Climate Change Office under this Enabling Activity Project in Iran many individuals and organization have contributed , a list of which is given blow :

A. Project Management

• The Late Professor Taghi Ebtekar (University of Tehran; National Project Manager)
• Professor Mohammad Soltanieh (Sharif University of Technology; National Project Manager)
• Mr. Mohammad Khesali ( Climate Change Office; Administrative Assistant)

B. UNDP/GEF Coordination

• Mr. M. Kamyab ( Program Coordinator)
• Dr. B. Lim (Coordinator of National Communication Support Programme, UNDP-GEF)
• Dr. N. Mongia(UNDP-GEF Climate Change Manager, Regional Bureau for Asia & Pacific)

C. Working Groups

i) Energy

• Dr. M.A. Abdoli (Bureau of Environment, Ministry of Energy; Head of Group in GHG’s Emission Inventory)
• Mr. M.S. Ahadi (Climate Change Office, Head of Group in Mitigation Policies, V&A and Action Plan)
• Dr. Y. Saboohi (Sharif Energy Research Institute(SERI), Sharif University of Technology)
• Dr. M.R. Kargahi (Ministry of Energy)
• Dr. H. Shokouhmand (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tehran)
• Dr. M. Shafipour (Department of Environment)
• Dr. E. Bagherzadeh (Institute for International Energy Studies)
• Dr. A.R. Karbasi (Bureau of Environment, Ministry of Energy)
• Dr. R. Davoudzadeh (Railroad Research Center, Ministry of Roads and Transportation)
• Mr. M. Amiri (Bureau of Environment, Ministry of Oil)
• Ms. S. Afzalzadeh (Bureau of Environment, Ministry of Oil)
• Ms. N. Rahimi (Bureau of Environment, Ministry of Energy)
• Mr. H. Taghvaei (Climate Change Office)
• Mr. R. Samadi (Bureau of Environment, Ministry of Energy)

ii) Industrial Processes

• Dr. M. Soltanieh ( Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology; Head of Group in GHG’s Emission Inventory)
• Mr. M.S. Ahadi (Climate Change Office)
• Mr. G. Eshghi (Climate Change Office)

iii) Land Use Change & Forestry

• Mr. M.H. Shirazi (Forestry and Rangeland Organization; Head of Group)
• Dr. S. Babaei (Forestry and Rangeland Organization)
• Mr. K. Nosrati Nasrabadi (Forestry and Rangeland Organization)

iv) Agriculture

• Dr. A. Nikkhah (Department of Agriculture, University of Tehran; Head of Group in GHG’s Emission Inventory & Mitigation Policies)
• Mr. A. Dehghan (Ministry of Agriculture; Head of Group in V&A and Action Plan)
• Dr. A. Moharreri (Department of Agriculture, University of Shahr-e-Kord)
• Dr. A. Karimi (Department of Agriculture, University of Tehran)
• Mr. H. Tofighi (Climate Change Office)
• Mr. A. Dadpasand (Climate Change Office)

v) Meteorology

• Dr. A.H. Meshkouti (Head of Group)
• Mrs. F.S. Moghaddasi (Meteorological Organization of Iran)
• Mrs. F. Rahimizadeh (Meteorological Organization of Iran)

vi) Waste

• Dr. G.A. Omrani (Department of Health, University of Tehran; Head of Group)
• Dr. M. Vousoughi (Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology)
• Dr. M. Mehrasbi (Department of Environment)
• Mr. R. Marandi (Islamic Azad University)
• Mr. M. Safa (Islamic Azad University)

vii) Coastal Zones

• Mr. A. Sharifi (National Center for Oceanography, Ministry of Science, Research and Technology; Head of Group)
• Mr. O. Haeri (National Center for Oceanography, Ministry of Science, Research and Technology)
• Mr. M. Nazarian (National Center for Oceanography, Ministry of Science, Research and Technology)
• Mr. A. Danehkar (National Center for Oceanography, Ministry of Science, Research and Technology)

viii) Water Resources

• Dr. H. Fahmi (Water Resources Research Center, Ministry of Energy; Head of Group)
• Ms. M. Montazeri (Water Resources Research Center, Ministry of Energy)
• Mr. A.K. Fani hagh (Water Resources Research Center, Ministry of Energy)

ix) Health

• Mrs. Z. Ahmadzadeh (Ministry of Health; Head of Group)
• Mrs. M. Ebrahimi (Climate Change Office)

x) National Circumstances and and Economic Impact Assessment

• Mr. M. Khesali ( OPEC Affairs, Ministry of Oil)

xi) Public Awareness

• Mr. H. Taghdisian (Climate Change Office)
• Mr. S. Minapour (Climate Change Office)
• Ms. M. Khalili Yadegari (Climate Change Office)
• Mr. E. Hashemi (Climate Change Office)

xii) Coordination Group and Supporters

• Ms. L. Moshrefi (Climate Change Office; Head )
• Ms. A. Moshrefi (Climate Change Office)
• Ms. A. Heidari (Climate Change Office)

D. Editor

• Dr. S. Amiri

E. Graphic designer

• Y. Khosroshahi
• K. Ghadiri

F. Web designer

• S. Iranfard

G. Consultants

• Dr. M. Bahadorinezhad (Sharif University of Technology)
• Dr. A.A. Gharani (OPEC Affairs, Ministry of Oil)
• Dr. A. Nikkhah (Department of Agriculture, University of Tehran)
• Dr. S. Amous (APEX CONSEIL for Energy and Environment, Tunisia)
• Dr. R. N Jones (CSIRO Atmospheric Research Institute of Australia)
• Dr. H. EID (Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute of Egypt)
• Ms. L. Jaramillo (United Nations Institute for Training & Research,UNITAR)
• Mr. M. Khosravi (Bureau of Planning, Ministry of Oil)
• Mr. M.R. Sheikh-aleslami (National Center for Oceanography)
• Mr. M. Nilikar (Kanoon-e-Informatic-e-Iran)

H. Steering Committee

• Dr. Y. Hojjat (Department of Environment; Head)
• Dr. S. Motesaddi (Department of Environment; Secretary)
• Mr. M. Rezvanian- Mr. S. Moeini (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Mr. A.R. Alaei (Ministry of Oil)
• Mr. J. Mesbahi (Ministry of Energy)
• Dr. B. Mortazavi (Ministry of Industries and Mines)
• Dr. F. Sharifi (Ministry of Agriculture)
• Mr. A. Dehghan (Ministry of Agriculture)
• Mr. S. Jazayeri (Ministry of Interior Affairs)
• Dr. A. Sedaghatkerdar (Meteorological Organization of Iran)
• Mr. A. Ahmadpour (Meteorological Organization of Iran)
• Dr. M. Emamhadi (Meteorological Organization of Iran)

I. Ministries, Organizations and Inistitutions

i) Iranian

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bureau of Economic and International Affairs)
• Ministry of Oil ( Bureau of Environment, Planning and OPEC Affairs )
• Ministry of Energy (Water Resource Research Center, Bureau of Environment and Energy Planning )
• Ministry of Agriculture
• Ministry of Industries and Mines
• Ministry of Health
• Management and Planning Organization (Bureau of Energy Affairs and Environment)
• Sharif Energy Research Institute (SERI)
• International Institute for Energy Studies (IIES)
• Meteorological Organization of Iran
• Iranian Academy of Sciences
• University of Tehran
• Iranian National Center for Oceanography (INCO)
• Iran’s Statistics Center
• Central Bank of Iran (Bank-e-Markazi-Iran)
• Kanoon-e-Informatic-e-Iran
• Iran System Company

ii) International

• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• Global Environment Facility (GEF)
• United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
• Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)-Boston