TEHRAN-The international summit to deal with sand and dust storms, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday in Tehran, will be a turning point in making serious decisions for implementing sub-regional programs in West Asia and Central Asia, Ali Salajeqeh chief of the Department of Environment, has said.

In a meeting with ambassadors and representatives of the countries participating in the international conference on dealing with SDSs, Salajeqeh said letters of invitation have been sent to the environment ministers of nearly 55 countries that are directly affected by the dust phenomenon.

Climate change with all its dimensions and consequences has caused serious challenges to life on the earth. One of the consequences of climate change, which has increased in intensity and occurrence, is the phenomenon of SDSs with severe harm to the world's biological and economic resources.

According to surveys, 150 countries are affected by SDSs, and most of these countries are located in Africa and Asia.

Two out of the seven main sources of dust production in the world are located in Asia, with the Great African Sahara being the first one.

The studies by the Islamic Republic of Iran show that the dust centers in West and Central Asia are more than 3.3 million square kilometers.

Considering the social, economic, health, and environmental effects and consequences of this phenomenon, it is necessary to adopt international, regional, and sub-regional solutions with the participation of all countries affected by this phenomenon and the international organizations’ support, to take more seriously actions to tackle this challenge.

To develop environmental diplomacy with all countries of the world, in the past 2 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran, on July 12, 2022, has taken action to hold the Tehran Regional Summit under the title of Environment for a Better Future with the main approach of solving the dust problem in the West and Central Asia.

The annual resolutions of the United Nations in the field of combating sand and dust storms, which have been approved by the General Assembly since 2015, clearly show the activities of the United Nations in the field of combating desertification and dust storms.

With the aim of attracting participation, cooperation, and international coordination based on the resolution number A77571 of the United Nations General Assembly in 2022, the Islamic Republic of Iran with the support of the United Nations will hold an international summit on dealing with dust storms on September 9 and 10 in Tehran.

The purpose of holding this meeting is to exchange opinions, consult, and share thoughts to synergize international and regional efforts, as well as discuss ways to strengthen regional and international participation and cooperation to deal with SDSs.

On the third day (September 11) of the summit, the Makran regional environmental conference will be held in Chabahar on a one-day basis.

The invited countries including India, China, Pakistan, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Bahrain are supposed to attend the event.

MT/MG