Environmental Law
Sajedeh Safikhani; Arashk Holisaz
Abstract
The investigation of the causes of the failure of the environmental policies of the state requires first cognition from the evolution of environmental statehood. Ioris (2014) by focusing on the politico-philosophical approaches shows that during the last century, three different environmental statehoods ...
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The investigation of the causes of the failure of the environmental policies of the state requires first cognition from the evolution of environmental statehood. Ioris (2014) by focusing on the politico-philosophical approaches shows that during the last century, three different environmental statehoods were put in place, encapsulating three characteristic interpretations and reactions to environmental problems, which were under the influence of the political theories of Hobbes, Kant and Hegel. The trend of environmental disruption and institutional reforms shows environmental statehood has the evolution of trend in Iran too. Therefore, the central question here is the evolution trend of environmental statehood of Western countries compatible with Iran's conditions? The answer to this question requires investigation of state reactions to environmental problems. In this regard, the environmental statehood model of Iran was investigated with the use of the methods of qualitative content analysis. It also focuses on the political theory of Ioris (2014). The investigation of the coercive and non-coercive policy in the environmental regulation and legislation show Legislative institutions focus on the coercive policy for environmental protection. Despite the fact that the dominance of coercion policy from in the Iran's Forests act (1942) to Soil Conservation act (2019) shows that the political ideas of Hobbes are dominant in Iran's environmental law. But, legal reforms to solve environmental and water resource problems are associated with the upholding of a specific model of environmental statehood in Iran. In fact, the most obvious features of the conventional model of environmental statehood (environmental impact assessment) and the transition period from conventional to flexible environmental statehood (sustainable development) were introduced to Iran's environmental statehood in the Sazandegi government. In addition, the results show that the state in Iran introduced more flexible approaches into the regulations of water resources without creating a prepared the ground for the transition to a more flexible environmental statehood. Such as increasing the participation of the private sector in the three levels of governance of water resources and development of legal capacity for the acceptance of market-based approaches such as the water bank into the draft of the water law. Also, introducing policy tools of the payment for ecosystem services (PES) and ecosystem services to solve the problems of water resources in watersheds. Therefore, frameworks of the flexible model of environmental statehood exist also in Iran. But, the evolution trend of environmental statehood of Iran is not according to Western countries. The environmental statehood in Iran involves the application of specific forms of market-based interaction of Hegelian state model and command-and-control approaches of conventional model of environmental statehood to the control of water resources. It should be noted that focusing on the frameworks of the features of the conventional model of environmental statehood and flexible environmental statehood cannot solve Iran's environmental problems. Therefore, it is necessary that framework of local environmental statehood be designed for Iran, which focuses on the participation of local groups. By focusing on frameworks of this model can be achieved 1) reducing social inequalities on the scale of watersheds and 2) creating a balance between people's interests in the scale of small watersheds and macro policies in the scale of large watersheds.
Sajedeh Safikhani; Arashk Holisaz
Abstract
Introduction: Laws are reflecting values that are changing and reflect the principles and values of the acceptable in a statehood. The chaptering of the legislation and regulation are one of the most important structural points when drafting the regulation and legislation. Because the principles and ...
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Introduction: Laws are reflecting values that are changing and reflect the principles and values of the acceptable in a statehood. The chaptering of the legislation and regulation are one of the most important structural points when drafting the regulation and legislation. Because the principles and the axes of the environmental regulation and legislation show the most important environmental concerns and problems, and policies and activities of state to prioritize and resolve environmental problems. However, there are fewer studies available about the investigation of the principles and axes of environmental regulation and legislation from a comparative perspective. This article examines the principles and axes in environmental legislation and regulation.
Materials and Methods: The paper follows the method of qualitative content analysis for the definition and determination of the principles and axes of environmental legislation and regulation. In this regard, it used the upstream documents of Iran's and the statements of international conferences for the definition and determination of the principles and axes of environmental legislation and regulation. Such as: the general policies of the system in the sectors of water resources, natural resources and environment, Articles 40, 44, 45, 47, 48 and 50 of the Iran's constitution, declaration of the United Nations conference on the human and environment, declaration of United Nations conference on environment and development, declaration of the agenda 21 and world summit on sustainable development plenary statement. Then, it uses of network analysis method and software of Ucinet and Netdraw in order to show degree centrality and betweenness centrality of the principles and axes.
Results: The results show that the most axes are in the period of the implementation of the Land Reform to the Islamic Revolution (1962-1978) with 29 axes, the eleventh and twelfth governments (2013-2020) with 28 axes, and the victory of the Islamic revolution to the end of the war (1978-1988) with 27 axes. Also, the seventh and eighth governments (1997-2004) with 12 axes and the ninth and tenth governments (2005-2012) with 15 axes have the least axes compared to other periods. All axes are of equal importance in the ninth and tenth governments. In other words, all axes have the same degree centrality (14) and betweenness centrality (0/02). Despite the fact that the principles and axes are different in each period, but the principles of "prioritization and priority right", "pollution", "monitoring and inspection", "investigation of scientific principles", "Economic growth and development" and "participation and cooperation" are common in all governments. In addition, comparing the principles and axes of Iran's environmental regulation and legislation with the principles and axes of international environmental documents shows that most of the axes used in the environmental regulation and legislation of Iran are located in the declarations of the United Nations conference on the human and environment and the United Nations conference on environment and development.
Discussion: Although, Iran's environmental legislation and regulation are affected by acceptance of the statements of international conferences and membership in international organizations, but legislative institutions have a superficial focus on some principles and axes of the statements of international conferences. In other words, legislative institutions add these axes to the text of environmental regulation and legislation in a period of time and delete those at a later period of time. Such as the "evaluation" principle and other principles that directly and indirectly refer to the "evaluation" principle.