rotection of the environment is enshrined in Article 50 of the Iranian Constitution. Over the past two decades, many environmental groups and organizations have emerged as part of Iran’s nascent civil society. In addition to these environmental groups coming “from below,” a number of government bureaucracies associated with the environment have evolved “from above,” or at the top, especially under the Presidency of Muhammad Khatami. The article examines the evolution of the environmental movement in Iran in both forms, primarily by examining the record in one particularly important area, namely the environmental protection of the Caspian Sea.