Tehran to hold anti-dust confab

Tehran is planning to hold a regional conference to discuss the dust pollution which has been striking Iran during the past couple of years.

Head of the Iran Meteorological Organization Ali-Mohammad Nourian announced the news on Friday saying that more than 90 percent of the dust comes from outside the country.

Experts say most of the dust comes from Iran’s southwestern neighbors, particularly Iraq. The amount of dust and particles coming from Iraqi deserts elevated Tehran’s pollution status to a state of emergency in May 2010.

Over the past couple of years, the dust pollution has hit Iranian cities, especially in western provinces, just ahead of summer.

Nourian also urged experts to pay special attention to environmental problems and climatic conditions in the country, IRINN reported.

“For instance if Lake Orumiyeh dries up, dust will destroy the farms of Azarbaijan Province,” he said, emphasizing the need for more counter-desertification and land degradation attempts.