Solid Waste Management in West War Zones of Iran during Iran-Iraq War (Holy Defence)

Introduction: Environmental damage from increasing waste threatens the health of our planet. Military operation and wars cause irreparable damage to the environment. One of the places that should be investigated in terms of solid waste management, are military centers. The objective of this study is investigation of solid waste management during the Iran-Iraq imposed war, and the status of solid waste management at the war time in west war zones of Iran. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study is retrospective. Data were collected using interviews with used of oral history method and review of military health documentation. The study population was the military health officials and health workers who were employed at the time of the battle in the war zones of west regions of Iran including major combat operations consist of four western provinces of Ilam, Kermanshah, Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan. Information collection was performed using an open questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire was done with discussion group. Results: Solid waste management in the early war years was very different with end. The difference in the first, second and third lines were not same. Based on existing evidence, low literacy training soldiers in war zone areas such as Chaghalvand and Charmian heights increased their knowledge and skills in the field of waste collection and disposal. In this area, waste as well as the problems was decreased. When the military operation didn’t took place either the second or third behind the front lines, collection and disposal of solid waste was such peace situations, in border areas and outposts along the border and the deployment of forces would take more than 5-6 months, large holes were dugout and the resulting waste is dumped daily and covered with soil. Conclusion: In terms of Iran-Iraq war during the 8 years of extensive operations took place, proper management of solid waste at the main areas of conflict did not exist. Despite all the problems faced by Iranian forces in the war, with the passage of time, they were able to organize health units and troop’s education. Some environmental pollution was undeniable during war, but in some cases was inevitable. Keywords: Solid Waste Management, Disposal, Military, Iran, Iraq