Assessment of the Environmental Impacts of COVID-19 in Urban Areas—A Case Study of Iran

Abstract\r\nThe Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus Outbreak 2019 (COVID-19) has caused worldwide concern and has affected all aspects of human life. The study objective is to assess and evaluate the direct and indirect positive and negative environmental effects of COVID-19 in urban areas. Collected data for Iran as a case study is presented, comprehensively completing the dynamic effect of COVID-19 on the environment. The analysis results indicate that despite the temporarily positive effects of coronavirus on the environment, such as improvement in air quality (15% - 20% reduction of NO2 in Tehran), environmental noise reduction, cleaner beach and coastal areas due to implementing lockdowns, there are negative short- and long-term effects such as excessive water consumption (10% - 40% increase in Iranian cities), reduce in waste recycling and significant increase in both residential and medical solid waste generation (10% - 77% increase in medical waste generation and 10% - 50% increase residential waste generation in Iranian cities), which leads to pollution or/and degradation of the environment (air, water and land). Moreover, with the global economic relaunching relaunch in most countries in the coming months, it could result in adverse effects such as increase in the greenhouse gas emissions. Assessment of environmental impacts, type and scale, could help for better planning and mitigation of the future pandemics.