The Social Responsibility of Charities in Addressing Environmental Crises

The importance of the environment and its protection about Environmental Crises has become a vital concern for countries around the world today. While a few decades ago, environmental awareness was mainly limited to developed countries, the increasing spread of environmental pollutants and the devastating consequences of neglecting the environment have led developing and underdeveloped nations to recognize the necessity of environmental preservation.

Today, the right to a healthy environment is emphasized as a fundamental right in many legal systems. Alongside air pollution, which has caused the premature deaths of millions of people worldwide, waterborne diseases also lead to the death of approximately 1.5 million children annually across the globe.

Moreover, at least 60% of infectious diseases are of animal origin. Hundreds of contagious diseases, such as avian and swine flu, COVID-19 with its catastrophic global impact, and the monkeypox virus, which has recently emerged as a new global health concern, have been transmitted from animals to humans.

The importance of preserving biodiversity and genetic resources in agriculture and food security is also a point of consensus among all experts.

Protecting the environment also holds immense economic importance. According to a report by the International Labour Organization, shifting the economies of countries toward greener economies can create millions of new jobs and help reduce poverty.

Iran is one of the few countries that explicitly emphasizes the importance of the environment and the prevention of environmentally destructive activities in its Constitution. Article 50 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran states: “In the Islamic Republic, the protection of the environment, in which the present and future generations must have a flourishing social life, is considered a public duty. Therefore, any economic or other activity that results in pollution or irreversible destruction of the environment is prohibited.”

However, only five percent of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are active in the field of the environment. This is despite the fact that the importance and effectiveness of addressing issues such as the prevention of air pollution—which, according to statistics, leads to 23,000 premature deaths annually in the country and has irreparable effects on the mental health, livelihoods, and economy of families—are certainly not less significant than other charitable activities.

A Look at the Environmental Activities of the Dr. Mostafa Naraghi’s Charity Foundation

Ms. Nahaleh Naraghi and Dr. Ali Nasr Naraghi, members of the board of directors of the Mostafa Naraghi’s Charity Foundation, with an understanding of the importance of environmental issues, alongside their charitable activities in education, healthcare, and livelihood support, as well as disaster relief, have also initiated programs focused on the protection and preservation of the environment in this country.

Supporting park rangers and wildlife protectors, including those in Miankaleh, organizing cleanup programs for public spaces such as the heights of Shemshak and Darbandsar, the plains of Pulur’s poppies, and more, planting saplings and trees, and promoting environmental concepts and principles like waste segregation are among the key environmental activities of the Dr. Naraghi’s Charity Foundation.

In the process of developing the foundation’s vision, special attention has been given to expanding its environmental activities. With the hope that increasing attention from the government and non-governmental organizations to environmental issues, particularly the clarification of the necessity and benefits of environmental protection and the development of educational and promotional programs in this field, will lead to a significant transformation in preserving the country’s environment.