The deterioration of urban environments in developing countries: Mitigating the air pollution crisis in Tehran, Iran

An increasing concentration of people and economic activities as well as a growing vehicle fleet have contributed to high levels of air pollution in the large cities of developing countries. This paper uses the case study of Tehran, the capital of Iran, to address the problem of air pollution in the major cities of developing countries. Specifically, the paper reviews and evaluates the implementation of the 10-year master plan to control air pollution in Tehran since its introduction in 2000. The paper argues that, thus far, the full implementation of many of the strategies of the master plan has lagged behind and a gap has emerged between the plan and its practice. Looking into the future, the paper identifies a list of challenges that need to be addressed systematically and comprehensively in order to turn the master plan and its strategies into meaningful and coordinated practice. Lessons learned from the case study of Tehran will help other major cities in developing countries to combat the air pollution problem more effectively in the future.