Press TV - Iran's Department of the Environment has warned that Iran is among the 10 countries which cause the most environmental destruction in the world.

"On realizing environmental destruction is a sign of severe challenges in our time, the department's attention falls on more longsighted planning and the root causes of the problem," the vice president in charge of the Department of the Environment said.

Mohammad-Javad Mohammadizadeh suggested Iran had to employ applicable models to avoid more environmental destruction, which, if not controlled, would become a crisis for the next generation in the country.

"Increasing world population and steady technology advancement are among the main causes of environmental destruction. In a matter of 100 years there will be no trees left in Iran if the devastation continues at such a pace," he said.

"Iran has to take various factors into consideration. Pond and water management as well as presence of 30,000 vessels providing 60 percent of oil and gas of the world are of great importance in the matter especially taken with the fact that the vessels are older than 20 years old," he added.

"Informing the public about the endangered ecosystem and an environment friendly lifestyle must find their place in our daily life," Mohammadizadeh concluded.

Concerns over the environmental destruction increased after the country's Gas Engineering and Development Company cut off more than 4,000 trees in western Iran.

The company cut the trees to make way for pipelines in three provinces of Chahar-Mahal Bakhtiari, Isfahan, and Boyer-Ahmad.

Gas Engineering and Development Company announced it had informed the provinces' organization of natural resources before it cut the trees and paid $700,000 for compensation.

... Payvand News - 10/28/09 ... --