TEHRAN – Ahmadreza Lahijanzadeh, the deputy head of the Department of Environment (DOE) for Marine and Wetlands affairs, and Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labé, the resident representative ad interim for United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Iran, held talks in Tehran on Wednesday, with a focus on the preservation of the country’s wetlands, particularly Hour al-Azim and Hamoun wetlands through provisions of water rights from Afghanistan and Iraq, respectively. 

The Wednesday meeting was held during the country program year-end review. Lahijanzadeh lauded the UNDP support for the conservation and management of the wetlands in Iran, calling for international support to secure water rights for Hamoun Wetland in Sistan-Baluchestan province and Hour al-Azim Wetland in Khuzestan province, doe.ir reported.

Hour al-Azim wetland is an important wetland on the border of Iran and Iraq. The wetland, located in the south-western Khuzestan province, is grappling with a severe shortage of water due to insufficient rainfall and recent droughts, turning into sand and dust spots.

In October, Iranian and Iraqi officials discussed the challenges facing Hour al-Azim wetland, particularly drought and spontaneous combustion.

During a meeting held in Iraq, Iranian officials from the DOE highlighted the provision of the wetland’s water rights by Iraq, the lack of which has so far dried up the wetland, leading to spontaneous combustion, releasing a large amount of air pollution and smoke, adversely affecting cities in Khuzestan province.

They also emphasized the significance of managing resources and water consumption in Tigris River to be able to supply the wetland’s water rights, and prevent the intensification of fire in the Iraqi part of the Hour al-Azim wetland, and stop pollutants migration towards Khuzestan province.

Iraqi officials representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs elaborated on the amount of water in the reservoirs of dams built across Tigris River, and the severe drought in the region, pledging to secure the water rights next year.

The two sides also discussed utilizing firefighting aircraft and helicopters to distinguish fire and manage the wetland.

Boosting scientific cooperation to address common environmental challenges was among the other issues discussed in the meeting.

The dispute over water rights of the Hirmand River, essential for agriculture and human consumption in Sistan-Baluchestan, has been one of the most significant points of tension between Iran and Afghanistan.

On October 21, Iranian and Afghan officials explored avenues to expand collaboration in the areas related to environmental protection, especially border wetlands and rivers.

Lahijanzadeh and Mawlawi Matiul Haq Khalis, the head of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) of Afghanistan, met in Kabul.

The meeting focused on ways to address the impacts of climate change, sharing expertise and knowledge, training technical staff in Afghanistan, Hamoun wetlands (transboundary wetlands on the Iran-Afghan border), sand and dust storms caused by the drying up of wetlands, the wetlands’ water rights, as well as conducting joint and international studies and research projects for the restoration of wetlands.

During the meeting, Matiul Haq Khalis highlighted that Afghanistan is severely affected by climate change. “Droughts have increased, and water scarcity has forced our people to be displaced,” he noted.  The official called for regional and international cooperation to address this crisis.

For his part, Lahijanzadeh voiced Iran’s full readiness to foster collaboration with Afghanistan to combat climate change and its impacts, share expertise,  and train professional staff.

MT/MG