UNDP, Tehran Municipality to enhance waste management co-op

TEHRAN – Tehran Municipality inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to enhance cooperation on waste management.

FAO, FRWO sign MOU to counter SDSs

TEHRAN – The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Forests, Rangelands, and Watershed Management Organization (FRWO) of Iran inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Sunday to eradicate sand and dust storm (SDS) hotspots in the country.

Autumn seen with lower than normal rainfall

TEHRAN – Precipitation in Iran is expected to meet normal or lower than normal averages over autumn, Ahad Vazifeh, head of the national center for drought and crisis management, said.

Constant supervision plan began to protect red deer in northern Iran

TEHRAN – A 24-hour program for the protection of red deer is being implemented by rangers in the Hyrcanian forests of northern Mazandaran province concurrent with the beginning of the mating season of these animals.

Anthropogenic wildfire extinguished in Hamoun wetland

TEHRAN – A man-made wildfire burning 10 hectares of Hamoun International Wetland in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province was extinguished after several hours of efforts, the head of the provincial department of environment (DOE) said on Monday.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Environmental features of Iran: take a look at five diverse ecological regions

TEHRAN – Environmental features play a significant role in a land's biodiversity and richness, based on which, Iran shares five ecological zones with specific flora from the lowest to the highest.

Over 20 Asiatic cheetahs sighted in north-central Iran

TEHRAN – Twenty-one Asiatic cheetahs have been observed in the north-central province of Semnan since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21), Amir Abdous, head of the provincial department of environment (DOE), has announced.

$152m more earmarked to Lake Urmia restoration

TEHRAN – A new budget amounting to 6.4 trillion rials (nearly $152 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) will be allocated for the Lake Urmia revival, which will be spent on completing semi-finished projects, head of the Lake Urmia Conservation Program has announced.

Flamingos land in international Kani Barazan wetland

TEHRAN – Over 1,500 flamingos landed in the international Kani Barazan wetland, located in the northwestern province of West Azarbaijan.

Hamoun wetlands restoration project started

TEHRAN - The European Union and the UN Development Programme started a joint project in cooperation with the Department of Environment of Iran to revive Hamoun wetlands in the country over the course of five years.

SDSs generated by Lake Urmia hotspots reduced by 90%

TEHRAN – After the beginning of restoration measures, the sand and dust storms (SDSs) generated by Lake Urmia hotspots has been reduced by 90 percent, even has reached zero in some critical areas, head of the Lake Urmia Restoration Program has said.

Gavkhouni wetland playing host to migratory flamingos

TEHRAN – Gavkhouni wetland, where the desert and the river meet to create a pristine and spectacular view of the wetland in the heart of the desert, has opened its arms hosting flamingos and many other migratory birds over the past two years.

Wildfire burns 340ha of Miankaleh wildlife sanctuary

TEHRAN – Raging wildfire burnt about 340 hectares of the Miankaleh wildlife sanctuary in northern Mazandaran province on Sunday, commander of the protection unit at the provincial department of environment has stated.

Tehran to host online meeting on agritourism

TEHRAN- Tehran province’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department General will be hosting an online meeting on agritourism on Wednesday, ISNA reported.

DOE opens Iran’s richest biodiversity museum

TEHRAN – The richest and most important biodiversity museum of Iran has been set up in the Department of Environment (DOE) after years of efforts and activities of Iranian researchers, IRIB news agency reported.

30 guidebooks compiled for environmental defenders

TEHRAN – A collection of thirty books for environmental defenders has been compiled, eleven of which published as the guidance and training packages, head of environmental education center at the Department of Environment (DOE), said on Wednesday.

Persian fallow deer breeding in favorable condition

TEHRAN – With a large population of 53, Persian fallow deer roam in the 55-hectare shelter of Dasht-e Naz, the most important breeding center for this species in the northern part of the country, so that the hope for returning them to natural habitat after several decades has increased.

Earthquake forms stunning lake in Iran 80 years ago

TEHRAN – Churat Lake, situated in the northern province of Mazandaran, was created in the aftermath of an earthquake in 1939.

Non-revival of Lake Urmia could cause $1,000 billion loss

TEHRAN – Although Lake Urmia’s revival will cost around $1.5 billion, not implementing the revival plan would inflict a loss of $1,000 billion to the country, Issa Kalantari, chief of the Department of Environment, has said.

Over $2m earmarked to revive Gulf of Gorgan

TEHRAN – A budget of 9 trillion rials (nearly $2.1 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) has been earmarked to revive the Gulf of Gorgan in the Caspian Sea, northern Iran.

Unique biodiversity: five snake species endemic to Iran

TEHRAN – Many wildlife species in Iran are unknown to ordinary people. It becomes clear when a video of a spider-tailed horned viper goes viral on social media, and many people wonder whether this strange animal really lives in Iran.

Forest park in Tehran to turn into “ecopark”

TEHRAN – Tehran department of environment will transform Sorkheh Hesar forest park into an ecological park, IRIB news agency reported on Sunday.

$600m earmarked to rehabilitate Anzali Wetland

TEHRAN – A budget of 25 trillion rials (nearly $600 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) has been allocated for the rehabilitation of Anzali Wetland, deputy interior minister Babak Dinparast has said, noting that the budget has not been provided yet, ISNA reported.

Endangered species reproduce at Kani Barazan wetland

TEHRAN – Some endangered bird species were observed along with newly-hatched chicks at Kani Barazan international wetland in the northwest of the country.

Iran warns sanctions hamper regional locust battle

TEHRAN – U.S. sanctions have hampered the implementation of a regional locust control program by Iran, and if the country fails to control the outbreak, the neighboring countries will also suffer, Somayeh Karimdoost, representative of the Iranian Embassy in Pakistan has said.

$370m spent to counter SDSs in 3 years

TEHRAN – Over the past three years, the government has spent about $370 million from the National Development Fund on fighting sand and dust storms (SDSs), Ali Mohammad Tahmasebi, head of the national working group for SDSs mitigation, said.

Voluminous Taxus baccata spotted in Hyrcanian Forest

TEHRAN – The thickest-ever Taxus baccata L. (European yew) in Iran, which is said to be one of the most voluminous in the world, has been found in the northern Hyrcanian Forest.