Iraq forms national committee to tackle dust storms which have affected Iran

TEHRAN, July 14 (MNA) – Iraq has formed a “national committee” under Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s supervision to counter the issue of dust storms which have greatly affected Iran, an Iranian Environmental Protection Organization official said. The formation of the national committee followed Iran’s efforts to tackle the issue, Ali Mohammad Sha’eri said on Saturday. In an interview with the Mehr News Agency on Saturday, Sha’eri said Iran’s comprehensive plan to deal with dust storms in Iraq will come into effect in the next 6 months. According to him, based on the committee’s approvals, the Iraqi government along with the cooperation of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is supposed to implement the plan. Sha’eri said Iraq provides the financial aid for the project and Iran and other regional countries will give technical assistance. Sha’eri said the two million hectares of dried-up pounds in Iraq are the main source of dust storms. Many ponds which were once located in the arid and desert regions stretching from the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea to Iran have gone dry over the years. This ongoing desertification process has greatly increased the number of dust storms in the region, and now dust storms envelope more than half of Iran. Sha’eri also announced that Iran’s Environmental Protection Organization is ready to share technical experience with Syria and Jordan as other sources of dust storms.