TEHRAN — The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Environment (DoE) on Tuesday setting out on lunching three environmental monitoring satellites.

To enhance the environmental safety in the country the MOU was signed between ISA director Mohsen Bahrami and DoE deputy director Farhad Dabiri.

The three satellites are designed for detecting forest fires, observing the Earth’s vegetation, and monitoring riversides etc., said an official with ISA.

Homayoun Sadr noted that “we have already cooperated with agriculture, energy, and communication and information technology ministers and we are entering into cooperation with the Department of Environment as well.”

Food and water safety, sustainable development, environment assessment, and earth monitoring are of the issues the two organizations have agreed upon by signing the aforesaid MOU, Sadr highlighted.

Environmental monitoring satellites are kinds of Earth observation satellite that can assist environmental monitoring by detecting changes in the Earth's vegetation, atmospheric trace gas content, sea state, ocean color, and ice fields. By monitoring vegetation changes over time, droughts can be monitored by comparing the current vegetation state to its long term average.

ISA is an organization affiliated with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.

MQ/MG