TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance the country’s capacity to address air pollution using new technologies.

The MOU was signed on Tuesday by Sediqeh Torabi, an official with the DOE, and Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labé, the resident representative ad interim for UNDP in Iran, IRNA reported.

“Access to special [air] pollution monitoring systems provided by the United Nations Development Office can contribute to solving the country’s environmental problems, particularly air pollution, more effectively,” the head of the DOE, Shina Ansari, said on the sidelines of the signing ceremony. 

The systems can detect particulates in the air and identify the source of emissions. Based on the results, the best decisions can be made to address the problems, Ansari added.

“We are interested in benefiting from modern technologies to improve waste management, as well,” she noted.

The official went on to express optimism for the expansion of cooperation with the UNDP, saying that in the next step, the DOE is planning to develop a document on managing the country’s air pollution in cooperation with internal and external consultants.

Referring to the economic costs associated with air pollution, Ansari said, “Environmental issues should not be impacted by sanctions. We expect the UNDP office, as an international agency, to help us resolve the problems.”

For her part, Torabi said collaborations between the two organizations can be centered around air pollution, waste and water resource management, and combating sand and dust storms and climate change using international resources.

With the help of the new technologies procured by the UNDP, the DOE aims to monitor air pollution using emission inventory, which contributes to detecting different air pollution sources, Torabi further noted.

Air pollution 

Emission sources of fine particles include a variety of combustion activities (motor vehicles, power plants, wood burning, etc.) as well as specific industrial processes. These particles are emitted directly or as secondary pollutants in the atmosphere.

In general, the main sources of particulate matter emissions are fuel combustion such as burning coal and wood, diesel engines, industrial and agricultural processes, and vehicle emissions. Suspended particles generally affect the air quality during the cold months. 

Numerous scientific studies on particles show that exposure to the particles causes many health problems including premature death in patients with heart and lung diseases, non-fatal heart attacks, irregular heartbeats, lung cancer, exacerbation of asthma, decreased lung function and increased respiratory symptoms, reduction in fertility rates, and ultimately it leads to a decrease in life expectancy.

According to a report released by the Health Ministry, air pollution in Iran leads to 50,000 deaths each year, of which 7,000 occur in Tehran.

Air pollution also accounts for 2,029 and 661 deaths in Isfahan and Arak, respectively. Costs of air pollution on the health system in Isfahan amount to 796 million dollars, and in Arak, it is equal to 2 million 564 thousand dollars.

Environmental regulations, enforcement of strict laws, and the development of renewable energy are essential to curb air pollution.

Raising public awareness of the harmful effects of pollution and training the ways to deal with it, improving waste management systems, sewage, and water treatment, and improving public health via the development of health services in deprived areas are some other effective measures to address air pollution.

Policies to reduce air pollution, therefore, offer a win-win strategy for both climate and health, lowering the burden of disease attributable to air pollution, as well as contributing to the near- and long-term mitigation of climate change.

MT/MG