TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) has participated in international conferences in Lebanon and Azerbaijan, expounding on activities to deal with sand and dust storms and climate change.

Attending the Forum on Fostering Interregional Collaboration on SDSs, which was held from October 7 to 8 in Beirut, Lebanon, Sediqeh Torabi, an official with the DOE, delivered a lecture titled ‘integrated policy and community-based approaches to combat SDSs in Iran’, enumerating on Iran’s efforts and expertise in comprehensive management of SDSs, vegetation restoration, and local community involvement, Mehr news agency reported.

On the sidelines of the event, the official held meetings with representatives from the United Nations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the UN-Habitat, and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) to discuss ways to boost scientific and technical cooperation.

The United Nations Coalition on Combating SDSs was jointly organized by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the ESCWA as co-chairs for the Coalition for the period 2025-2026, and hosted by ESCWA.

The meeting reviewed the work plans of the Coalition’s five working groups on Adaptation and Mitigation (FAO); Forecasting and Early Warning (WMO); Health and Safety (WHO); Policy and Governance (UNCCD); and Regional Cooperation and Mediation (ESCAP and ESCWA), as well as activities and work being undertaken by Coalition partners.

It also discussed the planning and organization of the United Nations Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms (2025-2034) and forthcoming collaborative events.

 D-8 High-level Climate and Urban Dialogue was held from October 13 to 17 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the D-8 Commissioners’ Retreat Meeting gathered D-8 Commissioners of Member States (Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Turkey,  and Pakistan), and their accompanying officers, in an informal strategic setting.

Delivering a speech titled ‘towards resilient and low-carbon cities: integrating climate action and sustainable urban development’,  Torabi shared Iran’s experiences in tackling air pollution, optimizing energy and water consumption, and promoting urban resilience against climate hazards.

The official referred to the national environmental policy document, which aims at standardizing environmental requirements and integrating them into urban planning.

Torabi also held meetings with representatives from D8 member states and UN-Habitat, exchanging views on smart energy management,  monitoring emissions of greenhouse gases, and sharing green technologies.

The D-8 Week, which was the first since the establishment of the organization in 1997, featured two significant high-level events, the D-8 Commissioners’ Retreat Meeting and the High-Level Climate and Urban Dialogue on Aligning Climate and Urban Action with the D-8 Decennial Roadmap 2020-2030.

Both meetings were organized within the framework of the D-8 Week in Baku, marking an important milestone in advancing the Organization’s vision for deeper cooperation, sustainable development, and stronger institutional coordination among its Member States.

The primary aim of the meeting was to foster an open exchange of views and ideas on key organizational issues and to collectively explore new approaches for strengthening the cooperation framework of the D-8 Organization.

MT/MG