TEHRAN – According to the head of Iran’s National Headquarters for Dust Storm Policy and Coordination, the country intends to identify and control two sources of sand and dust storms in Iraq and Syria that have the most impact on the country by the end of 2026.

Once the two hotspots are located, the headquarters will utilize funds and global mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Islamic Development Bank to implement operational plans for their management, IRIB quoted Behzad Raygani as saying.

Highlighting the role of environmental diplomacy in addressing these phenomena, he said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the implementation of six comprehensive plans to combat sand and dust storms. Hence, the working group on environmental diplomacy, in collaboration with the Meteorological Organization and the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization, is developing supporting documentation to provide technical and scientific assistance.

Referring to the last regional meeting that was held in Turkey, Raygani said that Iran proposed to establish a subgroup comprising Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia to identify critical dust hotspots and develop an action plan in the meeting, and the idea was well received by the other representatives.

However, cultural and social obstacles in neighboring countries are key factors delaying the implementation of regional initiatives. Unlike Iran, people in countries like Iraq and Syria are used to living in arid environments with dust storms, so addressing dust storms is not probably among their top priorities.

Iran chairs intl. event on combating SDSs

Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeed Iravani, chaired a high-level event held to mark the International Day for Combating Sand and Dust Storms (SDSs) in New York on July 10.

The event was organized by the Permanent Missions of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, the Republic of Senegal and Mongolia, in cooperation with members of the United Nations Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, providing a platform to exchange experiences, strengthen partnerships and identify actions to advance implementation at the national, regional and global levels.

At Iran’s initiative, in 2023, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed July 12 as the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms, recognizing that SDSs and their negative impacts at different scales are issues of international concern.

This year, the day was marked under the theme: ‘From Source to Impact: Protecting Land and Life from Sand and Dust Storms’. The event brought together Member States, United Nations entities, regional and international organizations, experts and other stakeholders to strengthen international cooperation and accelerate action to address the growing impacts of sand and dust storms.

As highlighted by the four host countries, dust storms, beyond degrading land and the environment, have severely impacted human health, food and water security, agriculture, transportation, infrastructure, economic activities, biodiversity, and the achievement of sustainable development goals.

Addressing the event, Iravani highlighted that dust storms have become a global challenge affecting development, health, food security, transportation, the economy, climate change, and the environment, which requires a comprehensive, preventive approach based on broad international cooperation to be dealt with, IRNA reported.

Besides climate change, drought, desertification, land degradation, and the unsustainable use of natural resources, conflicts and wars, particularly in the West Asia, have resulted into land degradation, deterioration of natural resource management, and emergence or expansion of dust and sandstorm hotspots, he noted.

Highlighting the impact of unilateral coercive measures and sanctions on the capacity of developing countries to protect their environments, Iravani stressed the need to eliminate barriers to environmental cooperation and ensure equitable access for affected countries to necessary resources, technology, and knowledge.

The official welcomed the regional programs of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific as well as the inter-regional cooperation between the Commission and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.

He described the United Nations Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms (2025–2035) a significant opportunity to convert political commitments into practical, results-oriented actions.

During the interactive dialogue session, representatives of UN member states called for strengthening scientific, technical, and financial collaborations, developing early warning systems, ensuring sustainable land management, combating desertification, and enhancing the resilience of vulnerable communities.
The participants noted that SDSs know no political border, and that no individual country can tackle the challenge on its own. Accordingly, enhancing the role of the UN, fostering cooperation among source countries where dust originates, transit countries, and destination countries that receive dusts, as well as effectively supporting developing countries are essential to achieve sustainable responses.

The four countries, Iran, Iraq, Senegal, and Mongolia, issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to promoting regional and international cooperation to combat dust storms. They called for governments, the UN, financial institutions, regional organizations, scientific centers, private sectors, and other stakeholders to enhance their cooperation in areas like prevention, monitoring, early warning, land restoration, knowledge and technology transfer, capacity building, and securing financial resources.

MT/MG