By M.A. Saki

Wait and see what regional meeting on dust storms will produce 

TEHRAN – Iran’s Department of Environment (DOE) hosted on Tuesday a conference of 11 regional countries to find solutions for major environmental problems, particularly sand and dust storms (SDSs).

Plastic Bag Free Day to be held on July 3

TEHRAN – The Municipality of Tehran has decided to celebrate Plastic Bag Free Day on July 3 this year instead of July 12 in line with the global initiative.

Environment should not be sacrificed for political gain: DOE chief

TEHRAN – Ali Salajegheh, Department of Environment chief, has said that the environment should not be sacrificed for political gain.

Intl. bodies cooperating with Iran to deal with SDS

TEHRAN – A regional action plan has been prepared on fighting sand and dust storms (SDS) in eight external sources, and is planned to be shared with international organizations, Ali Mohammad Tahmasebi, head of the national working group for SDSs mitigation, has stated.

150,000 ‘nature protectors’ to help DOE forces

TEHRAN – Some 150,000 people are participating in training courses in the fields of fire prevention and control to help rangers of the Department of Environment as “nature protectors”.

Keep the environment away from politics: DOE chief

TEHRAN – Ali Salajegheh, the Department of Environment chief, has urged the world to avoid politicization of the environment, but to uphold the globally recognized “common but differentiated responsibilities”.

Salajeqeh appointed as new DOE chief

TEHRAN – President Ebrahim Raisi has appointed Ali Salajeqeh as the new head of the Department of Environment (DOE) for four years.

Some €450m allocated to tackle SDSs in 3 years

TEHRAN – A total budget of €450 million has been earmarked to contain sand and dust storms (SDSs) nationwide over the past three years, deputy head of the Department of Environment (DOE) for the human environment has stated.

Tehran meeting highlights ‘inseparable link between wetlands and life’

TEHRAN- On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of signing the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, a ceremony was held on Tuesday at the Department of Environment to emphasize the need for protecting wetlands as they play a key role in life of societies.

Defense, agriculture ministries join hands to protect environment

TEHRAN – The Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Agriculture signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to expand cooperation in the field of environmental protection, IRIB reported on Saturday.

Smart monitoring in Golestan National Park at final stage

TEHRAN – A project for smart monitoring of Golestan National Park, which started in 2019, is near completion and is scheduled to come on stream by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20).

Environment’s share of national budget rises significantly

TEHRAN – The national budget bill for the next calendar year (starting on March 20, 2021) has proposed 12 trillion rials (around $292 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) for the Department of Environment, a nearly twofold increase compared to the current year’s budget of 6.38 trillion rials (nearly $151 million).

Govt. permit to ensure quality of agritourism in Iran

TEHRAN – Iran’s deputy tourism chief Vali Teymouri has said permits will be granted to eligible tour operators to launch their agritourism businesses, aiming to set certain standards in a move to ensure the quality of such services in the country.

Sanctions hinder GEF to finance environmental projects in Iran

TEHRAN – Unfair and unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States has hindered the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to finance environmental projects in Iran.

Three Asiatic cheetah cubs spotted in northeastern Iran

TEHRAN – Three Asiatic cheetah cubs have been spotted in Bardaskan county, northeastern Khorasan Razavi province, for the second time since the beginning of this year (March 21, 2019), head of the provincial department of environment (DOE) has said.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Does economic growth worth degrading the environment?

TEHRAN – Although environmental consequences of economic growth bring about numerous reactions of economists and environmentalists, there is still doubt that environment protection rules and regulations hinder economic growth, or future development has dire consequences on the environment which does not worth it.

Action plans to tackle sand and dust storms to be completed by yearend

TEHRAN — There are some 20 million hectares of sand and dust storm hotspots in the country and some are in a critical condition, so the action plans to fight the storms will be completed by the yearend (March 19, 2020), deputy environment chief Masoud Tajrishi has said.

Common water hyacinth venders sell carcinogenic

TEHRAN —Eichhornia crassipes, commonly known as common water hyacinth, which is being sold by vendors on the streets are carcinogenic plant species and their trade must be banned.

No plans for reintroduction of Asiatic lion: DOE official

TEHRAN — Iran’s Department of Environment (DOE) has no specific plans for reintroduction of Asiatic lion into the wild for the time being, Majid Kharrazian-Moqaddam, director of the wildlife conservation and management at the DOE, has said.