TEHRAN — A delegation of Iranian and Japanese experts will travel on Monday to Khuzestan province, southwestern Iran, to look into the issue of dust storms which has been turned into a predicament in the region.

The southern and southwestern provinces of Iran, namely Khuzestan, adjacent to the hotspots where sand and dust storms originate either inside or outside the country are hit by the crippling storms occasionally which bring about adverse and catastrophic effects on the lives of the local residents.

The delegation will closely inspect the area and install sand and dust storm monitoring devices, IRNA quoted Iran’s environment chief Masoumeh Ebtekar as saying on Sunday.

“Given the significance of the issue we have suggested to carry out further investigation on regional level,” Ebtekar added.

Iran, Japan extend environmental agreements

On the same day, Yoshihiro Seki, Japanese State Minister of the Environment, and Ebtekar renewed an environmental memorandum of understanding (MOU) extending the cooperation between the two countries which began on 2014.

Minister Seki expressed happiness over signing the agreement saying that Iran and Japan have had a fruitful cooperation so far and that the new MOU would also prompt collaboration on the issue of e-waste as well.

“We believe that Iran and japan can ensure full and effective environmental cooperation and share experiences to have a healthy environment not only in the two countries but the whole world,” he suggested.

Managing e-waste, mitigating air pollution and dusts storms, controlling water quality, protecting ozone layer, fighting climate change, conserving biodiversity such as threatened species, protecting wetlands of international importance, promoting tourism in national parks and protected areas, facilitating low-carbon economy, encouraging research projects to develop new technologies, exchanging knowledge, etc. are of the subjects of the newly inked MOU.

Earlier this month, Iran, Japan and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) extended agreement for collaborative restoration program of Lake Urmia for the fourth consecutive year with the focus on raising awareness among the local communities and farmers and promote sustainable agriculture, training farmers and youngsters in workshops, encouraging alternative livelihood, and setting up women micro-credit funds in 110 villages located within the lake basin ecological zone.

MQ/MG