The Extent of the Researcher's Liability for Environmental Damage Caused by Academic Research

Abstract

The right to the environment and the research right are human rights that must be protected. The right of individuals to a healthy environment is part of the human rights that are increasingly threatened by human activities. This right is a prominent example of solidarity rights and a pre-requisite for realizing many human rights. Exercising this right requires a level of development that provides the basis for further environmental degradation. The activities of academic researchers in the direction of progress and development can pave the way for environmental damage. This article discusses when a researcher causes harm in conducting academic research. The need to compensate and support the researcher in conducting their research contrasts these two rights; Therefore, it is necessary to look for ways of compensation that make possible the simultaneous protection of these two rights. Because according to Article 21 of the Stockholm Declaration and Article 2 of the Rio Declaration, governments are responsible for ensuring that their activities do not lead to environmental damage. The key role of governments in resolving this conflict and helping to promote academic research, reducing harm, and trying to prevent this kind of harm is obvious. In this article, we intend to resolve this conflict by examining the principles of human rights, the right to research, and the right to the environment and to examine Iran’s legal approach in this regard.