Tehran hosting international, regional conference on climate change

TEHRAN – The sixth international, regional conference on climate change opened in Tehran on Monday with the participation of representatives from World Meteorological Organization and several countries.

‘Poor waste management brings annual loss of $10.5b’

TEHRAN – Poor waste management brings the country an annual loss of 440 trillion rials (about $10.5 billion), Hassan Pasandideh, head of waste management affairs at the Department of Environment (DOE), has said.

Iranian environmentalists to plant 1 billion trees in 5 years

TEHRAN – As long as deforestation is haunting the country, environmentalists have decided to join hands and plant one billion trees during the next five years, IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.

Camera traps picture Persian leopard in western Iran

TEHRAN – Camera traps captured photos of a Persian leopard in Khorram Abad, western Lorestan province, Mehrdad Fathi Beiranvand, provincial department of environment chief has said.

Persian leopard appeared on camera trap in northwestern Iran

TEHRAN – A photo of a Persian leopard was recorded by a camera trap in the western part of Alamut hunting restricted area, located in northwestern Qazvin province, Mehr news agency reported on Friday.

First flock of white pelicans landed in Kani Barazan wetland

TEHRAN – The first group of white pelicans, amounting to 150, have flown to the Kani Barazan wetland, located in northwestern province of West Azarbaijan.

Migratory birds arrive in Gulf of Gorgan, Ashuradeh Island

TEHRAN – The Gulf of Gorgan, the largest Gulf in the Caspian Sea in northern Iran, is hosting flocks of migratory birds once again which have flown long distances to spend the cold season.

Flood hits 5 provinces, leaving 2 dead

TEHRAN – Torrential rain has triggered flooding in 5 provinces of the country, claiming two lives so far, head of Rescue and Relief Organization Morteza Salimi said.

Migratory birds return to Shadegan wetland

TEHRAN – Shadegan wetland in southwestern province of Khuzestan has come back to life by heavy rainfall and is now hosting flocks of migratory birds, Mehr news agency reported on Wednesday.

FAO warn of climate change impacts on land use, food security in Asia-Pacific

Asia’s vast landmass and growing cities are warming faster than the global average and that will have a disproportional impact on food security and livelihoods for billions of people across the region, FAO and its UN partners warned today.

Last Siberian crane wings its way back to Iran

TEHRAN – The last remaining western Siberian crane, called ‘Omid’ (meaning Hope in Persian), has returned to Iran once again to spend the winter but one month earlier than the previous years, IRNA news agency reported on Monday.

Tehran to host Climathon 2019

TEHRAN – Tehran Municipality plans to hold programs in line with Climathon 2019 on October 24-25, looking for optimal solutions for issues such as air pollution and waste management.

Zagros forest protection plan being implemented

TEHRAN – A plan to protect Zagros forest is being implemented through which nearly 100,000 hectares of the forest will be covered with seedlings, Khalil Aqaei, head of the Forests, Range, and Watershed Management Organization has announced.

Mighan wetland hosts migratory birds once again

TEHRAN – Mighan wetland in central province of Markazi has returned back to life due to above normal rainfall and is now home to flocks of migratory birds which come to spend the winter, Mehr reported on Tuesday.

$47m earmarked for Lake Urmia restoration

TEHRAN – A total budget of 2 trillion rials (nearly $47 million) was approved to be allocated to the Lake Urmia restoration program, government spokesman Ali Rabiei said on Wednesday.

By Jamshid Parchizadeh

Persian leopard’s global range

The Persian leopard is classed as “Endangered” on the Red List of the “International Union for Conservation of Nature” with an estimated population size of 871 to 1,290 individuals. It occurs: 1) throughout Iran, 2) southern Turkmenistan, 3) parts of Afghanistan, 4) northwestern and southern Azerbaijan, 5) northeastern Iraq, 6) southwestern Dagestan in the Russian Federation, 7) southern and southwestern Armenia, 8) eastern and southeastern Turkey, 9) eastern and southeastern Georgia, 10) parts of Pakistan, 11) small parts of Tajikistan, and 12) probably small parts of Uzbekistan.

Ecosystem management best way to protect forests: expert

TEHRAN – Ecosystem management is the best way to protect forests, land, water and biological resources, Ahmad Nouhegar, University of Tehran faculty member, has said.

Lake Urmia water level on the rise

TEHRAN – The level of water at Lake Urmia increased by 1.04 centimeters on Tuesday compared to the same day last year, according to the studies conducted by the Lake Urmia conservation program committee.

Tehran joins European Mobility Week campaign

TEHRAN – The Municipality of Tehran has joined the European Mobility Week campaign to enhance sustainable transport policies, ISNA news agency reported.

Flocks of migratory birds came to winter in northern Iran

TEHRAN – The first group of migratory birds landed in northern Mazandaran province to spend the winter, director for the provincial department of environment (DOE) has said.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

World Ozone Day: Iran well rid of ozone-depleting emissions

TEHRAN – Iran has reduced 9,800 tons of ozone-destroying emissions over the past 26 years as part of its commitment to the Montreal Protocol, phasing out the chemical substances responsible for ozone layer depletion while making efforts to cut another 2,000 tons.

Efforts being made to preserve endangered Buxus hyrcana

TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) and the Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization are taking measures to preserve Buxus hyrcana which are dying owing to pests and diseases, Hamid Zohrabi, deputy DOE chief has announced.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Will the world’s fastest Asiatic cheetah outrun extinction?

TEHRAN – Although Iran is the only country which can save the precious species from disappearance, conservation projects fall into a single solution of captive-breeding. Cheetah’s captive-breeding is not necessarily an inefficient plan, nonetheless concerns come up from recent unsuccessful projects. Will the endangered beauty surpass its unknown fate and escape extinction?

Anthropogenic fire extinguished in Anzali wetland

TEHRAN – A fire that had been reportedly started by humans in northern Anzali wetland on Friday was successfully put out, ISNA news agency reported. Covering more than 19,000 hectares, Anzali wetland is located near the northern port city of Bandar Anzali, neighboring the Caspian Sea.

Bear cubs shot dead in southwestern Iran

TEHRAN – Two bear cubs were found dead at a landfill site in Dena county, southwestern province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, the provincial department of environment (DOE) chief has announced.

Illegal trade of unique Persian horned viper banned

TEHRAN – Illegal trade of spider-tailed horned viper, a unique species of viper endemic to western Iran, has been banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Hamid Zohrabi, deputy Department of Environment (DOE) chief has announced.

Temperature decline cuts ozone pollution over a month

TEHRAN – Temperature dropped by 1.1 degrees Celsius in Tehran over the Iranian calendar month of Mordad (July 22- August 23) compared to a month earlier, so that ozone pollution is dissipating dramatically, Hossein Shahidzadeh, the caretaker for Air Quality Control Company has said.

Safeguarding our vanishing treasure; National Park of Lake Urmia

TEHRAN – The National Park of Lake Urmia, home to several precious species and amongst 59 biosphere reserve areas, is severely threatened by many years of drought so that it needs to be restored urgently to avoid the extinction of highly adapted species.

Wildfire haunting Arasbaran forest extinguished

TEHRAN – Wildfire burning Arasbaran forest, northwestern Iran, since Monday, has been finally extinguished, head of East Azarbaijan’s department of environment (DOE) has announced.

Caspian seals population shrinking alarmingly

TEHRAN – Caspian seals, the sole marine mammals inhabiting the Caspian Sea, have faced a sharp decline in population over the past three decades, pushing the species towards extinction, Davood Mirshekar, deputy chief of the Department of Environment for marine ecosystems, has stated.