The Necessity of Shifting the Approach of Environmental Houses from Ad-hoc Activities to Process-Oriented Strategies / A Wounded Earth Awaits the Balm of Clean Energy
Apr 24, 2026
On the occasion of Earth Day, the national meeting of environmental houses of the country was held on Thursday, April 22, 1405, from 9 am to 12 pm virtually, hosted by the Environmental House of Lorestan University.
According to the public relations of Lorestan University, this event, with the slogan of World Earth Day, "Clean Energy, the Balm for the Earth's Wounds", provided an opportunity to examine the challenges, priorities, and solutions for improving environmental governance in Iran.
In this meeting, senior managers of education and public participation in the environment of the country, representatives of environmental houses from different provinces, heads of education and public participation departments of the Environmental Protection Organization, and a group of activists in this field were present.
The main topics of the meeting included the environmental issues and priorities of the day, explaining the slogan of Earth Day, and reviewing the structure and legal position of environmental houses in environmental governance.
The meeting began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, and then Engineer Farmanpour, Director General of Environmental Protection of Lorestan Province, and Dr. Morteza Ghobadi, Associate Professor of the Department of Environmental Engineering and Executive Director of the Environmental House of Lorestan University, in the host position, while welcoming, explained the role and position of environmental houses in the environmental governance system, as well as the performance report of the Lorestan Environmental House.
The necessity of changing the approach from episodic activities to process-oriented ones
In the following, Dr. Kiadaliri, Deputy for Education and Public Participation of the Environmental Protection Organization of the country, emphasized: "Environmental houses are not simple public organizations, but they act as a bridge between the people and the government, and this structure emphasizes that public participation has changed from a slogan to an executive requirement."
Kiadaliri emphasized the need to change the approach from episodic activities to process-oriented ones.
He said: "Many environmental houses have done good and valuable activities, and these past successful experiences should be repeated; Our insistence on repeating good environmental activities and experiences does not mean that we should not have innovation, but it is because many areas of the country are still deprived of those simple and effective experiences. We must simplify, clarify, and document the processes so that every environmental house in every part of Iran can use them."
He also emphasized the role of local education and empowerment of local communities.
The land of Iran is waiting for the balm of clean energy
Dr. Bazgir, Director General of the Office of Public Participation and Social Responsibility of the Environmental Protection Organization of the country, while reading part of the meeting's agenda, explained the draft of the management guidelines for environmental houses and listed the main functions of these houses.
Dr. Bazgir, emphasizing the structure and legal position of environmental houses in governance, noted: "If environmental houses want to be effective, their position must be clarified. Sometimes these houses duplicate work or are ignored by local managers. The guidelines that have been prepared are seeking to remove this legal gap."
He further referred to the slogan of Earth Day and said: "The land of Iran today also has old wounds; the wounds of drought, land subsidence, dust, water and soil pollution. Also, new wounds that have been created as a result of the recent imposed war and the destruction of natural infrastructure. To put a balm on these wounds, we have no way but clean energy. The land of Iran is waiting for the balm of clean energy, and environmental houses can be the healers of this balm, provided that they receive legal tools and sufficient support."
Expressing suggestions and questions / Draft of the management guidelines for environmental houses of the country
In the main part of the meeting, representatives of environmental houses from different provinces, heads of education and public participation departments of environmental protection of the provinces, and other participants expressed their opinions, suggestions, and questions.
Finally, Dr. Bazgir answered the questions raised and presented the summary of the meeting.
He emphasized: "The comments made regarding the draft of the management guidelines for environmental houses will be collected and, after amendment, will be sent to the Supreme Council for Environmental Protection for final approval."
He stated: "The slogan of Earth Day, "Clean Energy, the Balm for the Earth's Wounds", should be reflected in the operational programs of the houses."
This national meeting showed that environmental houses are gradually moving from the symbolic stage to the institutional and legal stage.
Despite structural shortcomings, the presence of senior managers of the Environmental Protection Organization and the acceptance of criticisms and suggestions from the representatives of the houses from the provinces heralds an effort to transform participatory environmental governance in Iran.
