Iran’s Environment Organization says a number of Arab countries are “critical centres of producing dust particles.”
Ali Mohammad Shaeri, the deputy head of the Environment Organization, told ILNA: “The cause of the pollution is the drying of 90 percent of the swamps in Iraq and the lack of management of water resources.”
He added: “Dried swamps in northwest Iraq, northeast Syria, northern Saudi Arabia and Jordan are the critical centres of dust particle production.”
Shaeri went on to add that the Iraqi government has refused to collaborate in finding a way to subdue the problem of dust particles, adding: “if Iraq continues its lack of cooperation, Iran will take up the matter through international and diplomatic forums.”
Ahwaz MP Shokrekhoda Mousavi called for an emergency meeting between the presidents of Iran and Iraq and other officials of other countries affected by the dust particle problem in order to “discuss ways to curb this form of pollution.”
He urged the Iranian president to appear in Parliament to present his action plan to address the issue of dust particles.
Ahwaz, in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, is one of the cities most affected by the dust problem.
The Environment Organization of Iran says 23 provinces are affected by the issue of dust particles.
While Iran has continuously blamed Iraq and other Arab countries for causing the dust particles, environmental activists in Iran say the drying of swamps inside the country is also exacerbating the problem.
Dust particles have been identified as the cause of heart and lung diseases.
