Environmental concerns have been ingrained in societal and governmental consciousness since the nineteenth century, undergoing various shifts in responsibility and approaches. During the nineteenth century, access limitations, exploitation restrictions, and the establishment of public-private natural resource divisions were implemented to address environmental challenges. In contrast, awareness of water, air, and soil pollution is a relatively recent development, gaining momentum in the mid-twentieth century. However, the trajectory of environmental concerns has not necessarily aligned between the general population and governments. Employing a comparative approach, this panel examines the role of legislative and governmental organizations in Middle Eastern countries, focusing especially on Iran and Lebanon, in influencing ecological changes. The panel will show that initial government concerns for the ecosystem have waned over time, giving way to a greater emphasis on development policy. Presently, the detrimental impact on the environment is exacerbated by the corruption within governmental institutions, active efforts by private sectors to obstruct and disregard regulations, and interconnected agreements and networks between the two. The first paper, “Transformation of Forest Management,” explores environmental discussions in the initial five Iranian Constitutional Parliaments (1906-1926). It assesses how new laws aimed to protect forests as income resources experienced a shift post-World War I, losing momentum with the Pahlavi Dynasty. The second paper, “Hydraulic Infrastructure and Political Change,” examines the Second Pahlavi regime’s development policy (1941-1979) in water resources and agricultural projects. It discusses the failure of these initiatives and how the subsequent Islamic Republic (1979-present) persisted with similar strategies, ignoring past failures. Paper three, “From the Corps to Jihad, Iran’s Unsustainable Development and Environmental Degradation,” investigates how state policies for improving living standards led to environmental catastrophes and rural-to-urban migrations. In a broader context, paper four, “Organized Abandonments and Political Ecology,” addresses Lebanon’s environmental crisis, giving an opportunity to compare the situation with Iran. The paper interrogates Lebanon’s history of environmental regulation, highlighting governmental prioritization of economic aspects, resulting in catastrophes like the 2020 Beirut Port Explosion. The panel addresses the role of governments and their organs in enforcing or violating environmental justice at local, national, and international levels. By shedding light on the complex interplay of historical, political, and economic factors influencing environmental policy in Iran and Lebanon, this panel underscores the need for collaborative efforts between governments, private sectors, and the population to foster sustainable practices and mitigate the impact of environmental degradation.