Challenges of Peripheral Development and Informal Settlements in Ahwaz

With the continuous increase in the migration of villagers to the peripheral areas of the Ahwaz region (under the occupation of Iran), and the uncontrolled development of these areas, new challenges have arisen for the urban and provincial authorities of this region.

According to official statistics, the population of informal settlers in Ahwaz increased from 550,000 in 2016 to approximately 650,000 over the past five years, and now the number of informal settlers in Ahwaz has reached about 1.75 million.

The poor living conditions in the peripheral areas of Ahwaz have confronted the residents with numerous problems in terms of infrastructure, healthcare, and livelihoods.

Meanwhile, the lack of sustainable and quality drinking water, issues related to road paving and sewage, and the absence of property ownership documents have made life difficult for the people of this region.

In this context, Mojtaba Yousefi, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, criticized the insufficient allocation of funds to solve the problems of these areas, stating that with piecemeal funding, one cannot expect a fundamental transformation in these regions.

Reza Farajpour

National Organization for the Support of Ahwaz Workers