VP Raises Iran Environment Concerns With UN Resident Representative

Tehran, Oct 9, IRNA – Vice-President and head of Iran Department of Environment Masoumeh Ebtekar and UN Resident Coordinator in Iran Gary Lewis on Tuesday held talks on degradation of the Caspian Sea environment. They called for international and regional cooperation to protect environment, prevent Orumiyeh Lake from drying up and help reduce dust problems which deteriorated the breathing standard of inhabitants of several provinces of Iran neighboring Iraq. The Iranian official said that environmental issues should not be seen as a major concern for the regional governments, rather they need to be paid international attention as like as global warming and greenhouse gases. She called on the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the regional countries to help protect and manage ponds, bordering waters and reduce dust spread in the atmosphere. The Iranian vice-president also stressed the need to save the ponds and Iranian lakes of Orumiyeh and Hamoon from drying up and the Asian leopard from extinction. The UN envoy to Tehran, for his part, said that remarks made by Iranian President Hassan Rohani at the United Nations over environmental problems facing Orumiyeh Lake were welcomed by civil organizations and representatives from different countries present at the event. Lewis expressed hope that the environmental problems facing Iran, the Middle East region and the entire world would be resolved as soon as possible./end