INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Environment Jasim Abdulazeez Humadi signed the MOU.The issue of dust storms has caused serious problems for Iranian citizens so it must be
overcome through regional participation, Salajeqeh noted.There are different methods and various expert opinions in the containing dust
Therefore, the best methods should be selected and implemented with the exchange of opinions of expert panels, he emphasized.In the past
years, we used petroleum mulches to stabilize the soil on the grounds generating dust, which of course caused environmental damage, but in
recent years, with the help of Iranian scientists and knowledge-based companies, several environmentally friendly mulches have been
prepared, he explained.He further announced readiness to take the first operational steps using the experiences of the member
countries.Humadi also for his part announced to support all the decisions made in the meeting because it creates a suitable platform for
joint cooperation, highlighting that the regional meeting of environment ministers showed the high importance of environmental issues for
senior Iranian officials.Dust storms and the phenomenon of desertification have harmful effects on the health of the people of the region,
but these problems can be controlled through mutual interaction and cooperation, he further stated.On July 12, Tehran played host to a
conference of ministers and officials from 11 countries, aiming to boost cooperation for resolving extant environmental problems, especially
sand and dust storms.Environment ministers of Iraq, Armenia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Syria, and Qatar, as well as deputy ministers
of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan along with delegations from Turkey and Uzbekistan, participated in the event which was held with the theme of
pursue the solution of sand and dust storms through diplomacy and international forums, as well as interaction with neighboring
countries.SDS effectsThe SDSs phenomenon has been plaguing the country for several years and has caused problems in many provinces
According to experts, natural and human factors are involved in the occurrence and severity of this phenomenon which is mainly caused by
excessive consumption of water and drying up reservoirs.The internal dust sources are estimated at 34.6 million hectares, generating an
average amount of 4.22 million tons of dust per year, about 1.460 million hectares are dried wetlands.Some 4.23 million tons of dust are
raised per year, which means the loss of soil fertility will hit the agricultural sector.All the SDSs sources are not located in Iran, 300
million hectares in the neighboring countries are giving rise to SDSs, which transport dust into Iran
The total dust density is estimated at about 150 million tons.In fact, the dust is raised from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and
Pakistan in the northeast as well as Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan in the south, southwest, and west.Letizia Rossano, the director
of the Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM), said in June that Iran is really at
forefront of understanding the problem of sand and dust storms as well as dealing with it.More than 80 percent of the entire populations of
Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and the Islamic Republic of Iran are exposed to medium and high levels of poor air quality
