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Rui ZHENG, participant of the UNCCD secretariat, at the official banner on the demonstration field (Photo WVC 2002 TPN305 Rui ZHENG UNCCD.jpg).
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PARTICIPATION OF TC-DIALOGUE FOUNDATION BELGIUM IN A TPN3 PILOT PROJECT IN IRAN
Photo credit: Radio Zamaneh
Mehrzad Bostani told the Mehr News Agency on Saturday Spetember 26: “In recent years, Fars has entered a period of drought and climate change, which has increased the speed of desertification in the province.”
Bostani said 11 million hectares of the province’s natural resources have turned into deserts or are on the verge of complete desertification.
The province has reportedly tried the widespread planting of bushes and trees as well as pond creation to prevent the rapid expansion of desertification.
Frequent drought conditions have made desertification a serious concern in several Iranian provinces including Tehran, Fars, Semnan and northern Lorestan.
Rice cultivation in Fars Province has been completely banned due to the lack of precipitation.
Climatologists say Iran has now entered the third stage of drought, also referred to as hydrological drought, where underground waters and springs begin to dry out.
See the text: radiozamaneh
Photo credit: Tehran Times
Tehran Times Social Desk
An official at the Department of Environment announced that 3,000 billion rials (about $90.8 million) were allocated to anti-desertification projects including: growing soil, stabilizing trees, erosion control and revival of lagoons, the Mehr news agency reported on Saturday.
According to Motasedi, the Department of Environment, the Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization and the ministries of Agriculture and Energy are jointly executing some programs under the Supreme Council of Environment to fight the dust problem and try to bring it under control.
Motasedi argued that patience was needed in order to tackle the problem. He said: “several meetings were held with Iraqi officials and two memorandums of understanding have been signed in this regard.”
Read the full article: Tehran Times
Photo credit: Google
Environmental damages cost Iran $8b a year
By: Gary Lewis
In keeping with current climate change trends, Iran can expect a hotter and drier future that could dramatically affect hundreds of thousands of people, if action isn’t taken immediately.
According to national statistics, Iran’s land area is 165 million hectares, 32 million of which is desert. No reliable statistics are available on how much Iran has become desertified in the past half century. But the effects are apparent: water shortages, encroachment by deserts on rangelands and urban settlements, and dust storms.
If no remedial action is taken, Iran’s deserts will expand significantly in the future and threaten sustainable livelihoods for citizens everywhere, especially people living on rangelands.
Once famed for their natural beauty, rangeland plains across Iran have now become severely degraded through unsustainable use and drought. The causes include: cattle farming that has led to over-grazing, harvesting of trees for fuelwood, and the erosion of vulnerable shrubbery. Many rangelands have actually been transformed into hostile environments, where local people face an unpromising future, where they cannot easily make a living, and are therefore forced to leave.
Already, many rangeland dwellers have left, migrating across the country in search of jobs. If desertification is not stopped, more migration and displacement – with its inherent problems – will happen.
Yet, there is hope and evidence that if we act now and work with local communities, we can reverse the tide of desertification and restore the beauty of Iran’s rangelands, as well as the livelihoods of its inhabitants.
Read the full article: MehrNews
Photo credit: Pixabay
Olive trees in dryland
Olive trees thrive best in climates with mild winters and long, dry and warm summers. At present, olive cultivation in Saveh gardens in Markazi Province has been successful; therefore attempts can be made to grow olives in areas with climate similar to Saveh. Olive trees also have fewer attacks by pests and diseases compared to other fruit trees, said Alireza Arbab, an agricultural expert, quoted by IRNA.
At a time when the country is faced with drought and water scarcity, cultivating drought-resistance plants like olives can play an important role in conserving water resources.
The tree grows well in areas with 500-800 mm of precipitation per year and produces a good harvest, so its cultivation in arid areas can play an important role in curbing desertification.
Check publication: Financial Tribune
Photo credit: GFCS
Zayandehrood-river, Iran
Iran’s precipitation is approximately one third of global average and distribution of the monthly rainfall has been changed in recent years. Water scarcity has many environmental and socio-economical impacts over Iran. Unlike to the floods that have limited coverage areas, water scarcity impacts cover vast regions. By increasing global mean temperature, drought and population, water and its consumption has become important. This may even become more significant in those countries where the volume of rainfall is limited. Occurrence of drought is one of the main reasons of the water crisis. Implementation of a drought early warning system is the most important priority for I. R. of Iran Meteorological Organization (IRIMO).
Read the full article: Global Framework Climate Services
DESERTIFICATION 
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