Iran and France have signed an action plan to expand bilateral cooperation and curb environmental problems plaguing the Mideast country, especially in the energy and water sectors.
The agreement was signed on Sunday, a day after French Environment Minister Segolene Royal arrived in Tehran on a three-day visit at the invitation of Massoumeh Ebtekar, head of the Department of Environment.
The details of the plan were made available on Tuesday in a statement on the website of France’s Ministry of Environment, Energy and the Sea. The DOE released a summary of the plan’s objectives on Wednesday.
The plan focuses on four major areas: energy efficiency, water management, fight against air pollution and protection of biodiversity, with emphasis on the former two.
Based on the plan, the two sides will pilot projects for efficient water distribution in major Iranian cities before the year is out. The statement did not provide further details.
Iran has also agreed to join global groups comprising the International Solar Alliance, Terawatt Initiative and the Geothermal Coalition.
In a bid to share expertise on water management, a group comprising French and Iranian experts will be formed by the end of 2016 to devise effective water management solutions and address the pollution of groundwater resources.
To improve Iran’s weather forecasting and early warning systems, the partnership between Iran’s Meteorological Organization and Meteo France International will expand to help Iran prepare for dust and sand storms.
The two sides also agreed to exchange knowledge on coastal management, including the conservation of mangrove forests that are found in southern Iran, in 2017.
Moreover, France will have a pavilion in Tehran’s International Environment Exhibition in February 2017, where experts from prominent French environment and renewable energy firms will be present.
During a short press conference on Sunday in Tehran, Royal said she would return in February to discuss the progress on the partnerships.
Ebtekar, a vice president, and Royal, who is the current president of COP21 (21st Conference of the Parties), also discussed the progress of Iran’s climate pledge during the French official’s brief stay.
The government is waiting for the Majlis to ratify the Paris Agreement, which has only been ratified by 22 countries, before it can start implementing measures to cut Iran’s greenhouse gas emissions by 4% by 2030.
Iran says it can reduce its emission by a further 8% if it receives international aid.
