The Role of HSE Risk Management in the Restoration of the Lake Urmia Ecosystem and the Protection of Natural Resources of Its Catchment

Nika Ghazizadeh Eslami¹

1) PhD Student, Department of Health, Safety and Environment Engineering, Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.

IOI Code : ACZE-ACAAFZ
Publication : 10th.International Congress of Developing Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism of Iran(10icsda.ir)
Abstract :
    its surface area, and its desiccation now threatens biodiversity, public health and the livelihoods of the surrounding catchment. Restoration is usually framed as a water-allocation problem, whereas the health, safety and environment (HSE) dimension of the crisis and of the restoration works themselves receives little systematic attention. This paper examines how an HSE risk management system, built on ISO 31000, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001, can support the restoration of the lake ecosystem and the protection of natural resources in its basin. Using published hydrological and programme data, a semi-quantitative 5 × 5 risk matrix was applied to eight priority hazards covering environmental, public-health, occupational, institutional and social risks. Inherent risk scores of 12 to 25 were reduced to residual scores of 6 to 12 when controls were applied according to the hierarchy of controls. Over-abstraction of water, salt-dust emission and hypersalinity ranked highest. Only about 30 % of the planned 2014–2017 restoration budget was allocated, which makes funding and institutional fragmentation a decisive risk. The study proposes an integrated HSE framework with measurable indicators, linking inflow management, dust control, worker safety and transparent monitoring.

Keywords : lake urmia hse risk management ecosystem restoration catchment protection salt dust iso 31000