Behzad Jiddi: The National Movement Must Have a Long-Term Plan for Lake Urmia

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, August 24, 2024

Behzad Jiddi, Ph.D. Student

The head of the Environmental Protection Department of West Azerbaijan Province, Saeed Shahand, claimed in an interview with ISNA this week that Lake Urmia is in a desirable condition.

This year, with increased rainfall, the water level in Lake Urmia temporarily rose. However, many experts note that the situation remains critical.

In an interview with Voice of America, researcher Behzad Jiddi emphasized the importance of evaluating the lake’s condition by looking at “the average water volume over the past 10 years.”

Behzad Jiddi: Economic Stability in Iran Will Worsen as Political Power Becomes More Centralized

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, April 05, 2024

Behzad Jiddi

Economist and political activist Behzad Jiddi assessed the future economic situation in Iran in the context of the results of the March elections, in an interview with Voice of America.

According to him, the further narrowing of the power circles in the Islamic Republic, due to the nature of the rent-based economy, will worsen the economic situation and increase socio-political turmoil.

Behzad Jiddi: Poverty in the Mugan Region is a Result of Iran's Budget Inequality

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, June 25, 2023

Behzad Jiddi

In the past few weeks, several floods in the Mugan region of Ardabil province have led to human casualties and material losses.

Behzad Jiddi, an economist and national activist originally from the region, currently living in exile in the United States, discussed both the aftermath of the recent floods and the economic situation of the Mugan region in an interview with Voice of America.

Behzad Jiddi: Investigation Needed into the Reality of Iran's Lake Urmia Revival Plans

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, August 26, 2022

Behzad Jiddi

Conservative politicians in Iran and politicians from the moderate and reformist factions blame each other for the failure of the Lake Urmia Revival Center's activities.

In an interview with Voice of America, researcher Behzad Jiddi states that activists in Iranian Azerbaijan should investigate the promises made by officials and the projects announced regarding Lake Urmia to determine whether they are true or false.

Deepening Divides: The Growing Rift Between Iranian Azerbaijan and Tehran Since 2006

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, November 25, 2020

Behzad Jiddi

Behzad Jiddi says that after the May uprising of 2006, the rift between Iranian Azerbaijan and Tehran deepened. According to the national activist speaking to Voice of America, the Iranian government's and civil society's anti-Azerbaijan stance during the second Nagorno-Karabakh war further deepened this sense of fragmentation.

Behzad Jiddi: Human Intervention, Not Climate Change, Is the Main Threat to Lake Urmia's Survival

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, August 13, 2020

Behzad Jiddi

Economist and environmental expert Behzad Jiddi, in an interview with Voice of America, expressed that the threat of an ecological disaster around Lake Urmia has not been eliminated.

According to the expert, the slight improvement in the condition of the lake last year was due to higher-than-normal rainfall.