Dust control, forest revival on Iran’s environmental agenda: VP
Iran is stepping up efforts to contain domestic dust storm sources, according to the country’s Vice President and head of the Department of Environment (DoE), Shina Ansari.
Speaking during a two-day visit to Lorestan province, Ansari said dust hotspots are being “identified and stabilized” in coordination with relevant agencies to tackle pollution. The project, part of a broader environmental action plan, includes soil management, reforestation, and air quality measures.
At a tree-planting event in Khorramabad, Ansari praised the work of rangers and environmental volunteers, saying environmental protection “requires collective effort” and that the government “won’t hold back” on this front.
She also paid tribute to fallen rangers, including those killed in recent years—such as in Golestan National Park and the Zagros wildfires. “These trees are symbols of sacrifice,” she said, “by those who gave their lives for Iran’s nature.”
The Zagros forests, home to a declining population of oak trees, are under new threat from the green oak leaf roller moth. Ansari said a “national will” is needed to contain the outbreak, which has reached even protected areas.
Joint efforts with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Natural Resources Organization are underway to manage the forests and prevent wildfires, using emergency services’ capacity. A national conference on the Zagros forests is scheduled for July to push the agenda forward.
In Khorramabad, local officials highlighted a shortage in green spaces. Mayor Dariush Barani Beyranvand said urban green space per capita stands at only nine square meters—below the national standard of 7–12 square meters. “We’ve lost 1,200 hectares of garden land to housing,” he said.
To reverse the trend, the city has launched a “green belt” initiative and plans to plant 20,000 trees to expand urban greenery.
Ansari’s visit also included meetings with NGOs, a tour of the Khorramabad combined cycle power plant, and a stop at a Persian fallow deer restoration site in the region.
According to the United Nations, Iran faces some of the world’s most severe desertification and air pollution challenges, with sand and dust storms posing serious threats to health and agriculture in recent years.