Extended Abstract
Introduction: The Iranian petrochemical industry was established in 1963 and has since expanded significantly. The formation of over 57 petrochemical complexes with a production capacity of 70 million tons annually has placed Iran among the main petrochemical hubs in the region. This industry in Iran is the second source of foreign exchange after oil and has a substantial impact on the country’s economic development. However, there are many uncertainties regarding the reasons for the expansion of this industry and its environmental consequences. This research aims to explain the reasons for the development of this industry in Iran over the past decades, and assess its environmental consequences on the Asaluyeh region and the Persian Gulf.
Method: This research consists of two separate parts. In the first part, which explains the development of the petrochemical industry, the documentary method and review of library resources were employed. In the second part, which analyzes the environmental consequences of petrochemical industries, it also employs available global data, systematic review of related articles, laboratory experiment results, and information provided by petrochemical companies were utilized.
Findings: The extensive development of the petrochemical industry in Iran can be understood within the context of the global division of labor and the referral of crisis-causing industries to the “periphery”. This means that the transfer of this industry from the “center” to the “quasi-periphery” has been due to the uneconomical nature and crisis-causing nature of this industry in environmental terms. The development of the petrochemical industry in the Asaluyeh region has had significant environmental consequences. High fuel consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CH4 on the one hand, and the production of hazardous pollutants such as nitrogen and sulfur oxides, volatile organic compounds, and suspended particles, on the other hand, have severely affected the air quality and local community health.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that explaining Iran’s petrochemical industry development solely through “domestic advantage” theories is incomplete; it is highly dependent on the mechanisms of the global division of labor and the relocation of crisis-causing industries. Therefore, while the development of the petrochemical industry has positive aspects, it also includes negative aspects, especially in the field of the environment. Accordingly, to address the health and environmental issues of the Asaluyeh region, the following suggestions are presented: improving industrial infrastructure, enhancing monitoring and pollutants management, increasing public awareness and social responsibilities, creating green belts and buffer zones, and finally, developing forward-looking research.