Tehran air quality improves compared to last year

TEHRAN — Air quality in Tehran has improved in the current [Iranian calendar] year (started on March 21) so far compared to the last year, Masoud Zandi, head of the national center for air quality and climate change affiliated with the Department of Environment, has said.

‘Recent heavy rainfall not to compensate for water scarcity’

TEHRAN — Since the beginning of autumn, the country has been poured with rain, experiencing a 14 millimeters increase compared to the long-term average, nevertheless the water scarcity or the severe drop in groundwater resources are not compensated, director for drought and crisis management department at Iran’s Meteorological Organization has said.

Precipitation reaches record high in Tehran

TEHRAN — Raining set a record high in Tehran on Monday, constituting 10 percent of the annual precipitation in the city, Tasnim news agency reported.

‘Regional cooperation, only way to tackle SDSs’

TEHRAN – Sand and dust storms (SDSs) severely hitting the southern part of the country posing threat to human and environmental well-being, requires the cooperation of neighboring countries to be tackled, head of the international affairs at the Department of Environment (DOE) has said.

By Maryam Qarehgozlou

Meeting on regional co-op for building resilience to disasters opens in Tehran

TEHRAN — An Expert Consultation Meeting on Regional Cooperation for Building Resilience to Slow-Onset Disasters, Including Sand and Dust Storms and Information Management for Cross-Border Disaster in Asia and the Pacific opened in Tehran on Monday.

Poor waste management posing a challenge to DOE

TEHRAN – While proper waste management and separation of waste at source could help create many jobs and solve the country's environmental problems, the budget requested by the Department of Environment (DOE) for waste management has not been approved by the Majlis [Iranian parliament], the head of DOE’s soil and water office has said.

SDSs shut down offices, schools in southeastern Iran

TEHRAN – Severe sand and dust storms (SDSs) hitting the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, has led to the closure of offices and schools in five cities on Saturday, head of Sistan-Baluchestan disaster mitigation and management organization has announced.

‘Salt particles raising from Lake Urmia contained by 80%’

TEHRAN – Salt particles raising from the catchment basin of Lake Urmia has been contained by nearly 80 percent, Farhad Sarkhosh, head of the provincial department for the Lake Urmia restoration program at West Azarbaijan has said.

‘Closing industries rather than schools would tackle pollution’

TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) planned to halt industries and activities emitting the most pollutants to contributing to Tehran’s air pollution rather than closing schools, during the second half of the current year (September 2018- March, 2019), Tehran’s DOE chief has said.

Will the lonely Siberian crane ‘Omid’ come back to Iran this year? 

TEHRAN — With the onset of the cold season the environment lovers are looking up at the sky anxiously waiting for the last remaining western Siberian crane called ‘Omid’ to come back to his winter home, in Fereydunkenar, northern province of Mazandaran, once again. 

New nature monuments, wildlife refuges nominated for inclusion in DOE list

TEHRAN – Four natural sceneries in northwestern province of Hamedan are nominated for possible inclusion in Department of Environment (DOE) list as national nature monuments and wildlife refuges, Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday.

Leopard seen for 3rd time in 2 years in north-central Iran

TEHRAN – A leopard has been spotted for the third time within two years in Taleqan, a rural district located in Alborz province, north-central part of the country, ISNA reported on Sunday.

Precipitations above normal level in first month of autumn

TEHRAN — Most of provinces in the country have met above-normal-average rainfall and normal temperatures during the first month of the new crop year (September 23-October 22), head of the national center for drought and crisis management, affiliated to Iran Meteorological Organization (IMO), has said.

Unseasonably warm autumn hits northern Iran

TEHRAN – The northern province of Mazandaran has experiencing the record high for unseasonably warm temperatures during autumn.

Intense PM pollution haunting 5 cities in western Iran

TEHRAN – Severe and large-scale particulate matter (PM) pollution heading for 10 times above the safe levels has affected five cities of Kermanshah province in western part of the country, the provincial department of environment chief has said.

Tehraners breathe clean air during first month of autumn

TEHRAN — Citizens of the busy metropolis of Tehran breathed clean air during the first month of autumn, ISNA news agency reported on Thursday.

Rare hunter Caracal killed in car crash

TEHRAN – A Caracal, an endangered wild cat also called the desert’s black-ear, has lost life in a car accident on Shiraz-Kazeroon road, southern Fars province, YJC reported on Sunday.

Leopard in snare escaped certain death, released back to wild

TEHRAN — A leopard caught in snare, in northern city of Galugah in Mazandaran province, was safely released and went back to wild with no lasting harms, Tasnim news agency reported.

The Netherlands Bicycle Partnership to promote cycling in Iranian cities

TEHRAN — The Netherlands Bicycle Partnership (NBP) is planning on encouraging cycling in the capital of Iran, the group leader in Iran Mehdi Hassanzadeh has said.

Meteorological Organization predicts normal levels of precipitation

TEHRAN — In its latest report, Iran’s Meteorological Organization (IMO) has forecast that precipitations will meet normal levels in the second half of the current Iranian calendar year, corresponding to autumn and winter.

Flood haunting northern Iran brings $166m of loss

TEHRAN – Flash floods hitting Mazandaran province, northern Iran, have caused an estimated 7 trillion rials (about $166 million) worth of damages, destroying infrastructures, residential units, roads and huge tracts of farmlands, the province’s governor has said.

Wood chips supersedes green grass in Tehran

TEHRAN – While planting grass in green spaces has been banned due to the high costs and water consumption, a new design of wood chips is piloted in the capital to be implemented in other areas, YJC reported on Wednesday.

Department of Environment opposes water transfer from Persian Gulf

TEHRAN — With regard to the environmental conditions of the Persian Gulf, the Department of Environment (DOE) has taken a firm stand against water transfer from this body of water, deputy environment chief, Masoud Tajrishi, has said.

Over 300 plains nationwide prone to land subsidence: geologist

TEHRAN — Over 300 plains in Iran are at high risk of experiencing land subsidence, and as long as there is virtually no reduction in illegal overuse of groundwater resources, curbing subsidence will coincide with depletion of aquifers, geologist Mohammad Javad Bolourchi has said.

Supreme National Security Council to weigh up agriculture around Lake Urmia

TEHRAN — The Lake Urmia restoration program has taken over the issue of agricultural development around the lake into the Supreme National Security Council, deputy environment chief Masoud Tajrishi has said.

Leopard cubs seen in north-central Iran

TEHRAN – Three leopard cubs have been spotted in Parvar protected area, north-central Semnan province, which is home to one-third of all species of mammals in Iran, Tasnim reported on Tuesday.

Judge sentence poachers to plant trees 

TEHRAN — An Iranian judge has sentenced two poachers to plant 400 trees in Hamoun wildlife refuge, southeastern Iran, Mehr news agency reported on Friday. 

Leopard cub seized from smugglers 

TEHRAN — A three-month old leopard cub was seized from the smugglers on Wednesday and transferred to Pardisan Park rehabilitation center, Mehr news agency reported on Friday.

Asiatic cheetahs spotted for 3rd time this year in central Iran

TEHRAN — Two Asiatic cheetahs have been spotted at the Behabad county located in Yazd province, for the third time since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21), the provincial department of environment chief has said.