TEHRAN - A few decades ago, there were about 130 lakes and wetlands in Iran, but now, unfortunately, some of the lakes have turned into hotspots of sand and dust storms.

Sand and dust storm is not a new phenomenon and has existed in the past years, but it has increased and has more destructive effects on the environment today due to human activities and climate change, Ahad Vazifeh, the head of the national center for drought and crisis management, has said.

Less-than-normal rainfall in the country has caused the surface of some lakes and wetlands to dry up, so now they have a salty surface and a soft, non-sticky texture and are exposed to wind erosion, he added, ISNA reported.

“Last year (March 2022-March 2023) was dry and with little rainfall, and this year is the third year that we are in low rainfall conditions,” he noted, stressing that many provinces even experienced a very severe and exceptional drought, and a lot of sand and dust hotspots have increased in these areas.

“With the wind blowing in these areas, the soils on the surface of the wetlands, which have a soft texture and are not sticky due to the presence of salt, are scattered in the air and create dust.”

Iran is located in an arid and semi-arid belt and has been suffering from drought and low rainfall in recent years.

In proportion to the country’s land area, the area of forests and green spaces are very small, and many of them have been already destroyed.

Considering that Iran is one of the countries with low vegetation and only seven percent of its total area is covered with forests, the need to increase the country's green space is very important.

There are two types of forests in the country's deserts, which include desert forests and man-planted forests, and the Natural Resources Organization plans to plant up to 40 million saplings in these areas.

Man-planted forests of desert areas are a part of the forests of this climate that does not have a natural origin and were created with the aim of stabilizing sinking sands and developing vegetation in desert lands through planting, cuttings, sowing, and seeding.

The main purpose of desertification activities such as planting trees, building windbreaks, seeding, etc., is primarily to strengthen the vegetation of the area as the main factor in preventing wind erosion, protecting the soil, and preventing damage caused by the movement of quicksand.

Creating an ecological balance in transforming desert lands into an area capable of sustainable economic and social development of the region is considered one of the secondary goals.

In April, Vazifeh said new sources of sand and dust storms, originating from Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia may enter Iran.

Unfortunately, precipitations in Iraq and Syria have not been sufficient. So, most of Iran's sand and dust storms originate from Iraq and Syria, he added, ISNA reported.

The sand and dust storms often originate from the eastern regions of Syria, and the western and central to southern regions of Iraq and are transported to Iran, he explained.

In addition to these areas, winds from south to north may lead to the transfer of sand and dust storms from Saudi Arabia to Iran, he noted.

The SDS 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.

In August 2022, Department of Environment Chief Ali Salajeqeh said to deal with sand and dust storms, positive measures have been taken inside the country.

A ten-year plan has been prepared to curb internal sources of sand and dust storms, he added.
“At least five international meetings will be held this year, one of which is the conference on combating sand and dust storms,” he added, IRNA reported.

One of the approvals of the regional meeting of environment ministers, which was held in Iran last summer, was the establishment of a regional dust organization, he highlighted.

“Environmental diplomacy is the main priority for the country's political diplomacy, so holding the conference on combating sand and dust storms is important for us.”

So far, 11 meetings of the national headquarters for policymaking and controlling dust storms have been held and the results of these meetings should be evaluated and made public, he stressed.

In the field of diplomacy, the Department of Environment has held meetings with neighboring countries to the extent that Egypt has also announced its readiness to attend the Tehran meeting, he highlighted.

He pointed out that a delegation from Iran will travel to Iraq in the near future to discuss the issue of sand and dust storms in order to make decisions to deal with the problem.

In July 2022, 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 “Environmental Cooperation for a Better Future.”

The Department of Environment has set up a secretariat for the international conference on combating sand and dust storms which is scheduled to be held in Tehran on September 9-10.

MG