Editing Tehran (section)

=== Environmental issues ===
{{See also|Environmental issues in Tehran|Environmental issues in Iran|List of earthquakes in Iran}}
[[File:Air pollution of Tehran - 5 January 2013 06.jpg|thumb|Heavy air pollution in Tehran]]
A plan to move the capital has been discussed many times in prior years, due mainly to the environmental issues of the region. Tehran is one of the world's most polluted cities and is also located near two major [[fault lines]].

The city suffers from severe air pollution, 80% of it due to cars.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.payvand.com/news/09/jan/1007.html |title=Car exhaust fumes blamed for over 80% of air pollution in Tehran |website=Payvand.com |date=22 November 2006 |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-date=29 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629091518/http://www.payvand.com/news/09/jan/1007.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The remaining 20% is due to [[industrial pollution]]. Other estimates suggest that motorcycles alone account for 30% of air and 50% of [[noise pollution]] in Tehran.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.payvand.com/news/10/oct/1239.html |title=Motorcycles Account for 30% of Air Pollution in Tehran |website=Payvand.com |date=22 November 2006 |access-date=12 November 2010 |archive-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107063229/http://www.payvand.com/news/10/oct/1239.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Tehran is also considered one of the strongest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the Middle East. Enhanced concentration of carbon dioxide over the city (that are likely originated from the anthropogenic urban sources in the city) is easily detectable from satellite observations throughout the year.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Labzovskii |first=Lev |date=2 August 2019 |title=Working towards confident spaceborne monitoring of carbon emissions from cities using Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0034425719303785 |journal=Remote Sensing of Environment |volume=233 (2019) 11359 |doi=10.1016/j.rse.2019.111359 |bibcode=2019RSEnv.23311359L |access-date=27 January 2020 |archive-date=27 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127042353/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0034425719303785 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2010, the government announced that "for security and administrative reasons, the plan to move the capital from Tehran has been finalized."<ref name="Relocation">{{cite web |url=http://www.payvand.com/news/10/may/1322.html |title=For Security and Administrative [sic] Reasons: Plan to Move Capital From Tehran Finalized |website=Payvand.com |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-date=3 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603033101/http://www.payvand.com/news/10/may/1322.html |url-status=live }}</ref> There are plans to relocate 163 state firms and several [[List of Iranian Universities|universities]] from Tehran to avoid damages from a potential earthquake.<ref name="Relocation" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jul/1064.html |title=Iran Moots Shifting Capital from Tehran |website=Payvand.com |date=22 November 2006 |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-date=10 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710192546/http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jul/1064.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The officials are engaged in a battle to reduce air pollution. It has, for instance, encouraged taxis and buses to convert from petrol engines to engines that run on [[compressed natural gas]]. Furthermore, the government has set up a "Traffic Zone" covering the city centre during peak traffic hours. Entering and driving inside this zone is only allowed with a special permit.

There have also been plans to raise people's awareness of the hazards of pollution. One method that is being employed is the installation of Pollution Indicator Boards all around the city to monitor the level of [[Atmospheric particulate matter|particulate matter]] (PM2.5/PM10), [[nitrogen dioxide]] (NO<sub>2</sub>), ozone (O<sub>3</sub>), [[sulfur dioxide]] (SO<sub>2</sub>), and [[carbon monoxide]] (CO).