ISPRA underlines UN role in balancing national interests on combating dust storms

Speaking to IRNA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) Expert Anna Luise said that the UN has a very delicate role in balancing the national interests to fight desertification in the region.

She noted that agreements on combating sand and dust storms will be much more effective it they are implemented under the UN umbrella.

Luise called for sharing knowledge and avoiding confrontation between regional countries on combating desertification, and said that Iran should share its interests in combating sand and dust storms with other countries involved in the problem.

She voiced hope for promotion of global cooperation on protection of environment, and said that the dust storm is not something new but it is an emerging phenomenon resulting from the climate change and draught.

Luise called for stopping mismanagement of resources and excessive use of land and over-pumping of water to halt intensifying the problem.

She said that Italy does not suffer the problem of sand and dust storms, but there are signals that show the start of problem in this region.

The First International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms was held in Tehran on July 3-5 July 2017. The international conference was hosted by the Department of Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the cooperation of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, UN Environment and the UN Development Program, in collaboration with other relevant UN entities.

Interview by Hamdollah Emadi Heydari

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