Iran to Host Int’l Sandstorm Confab in Summer 

Iran is scheduled to play host to an United Nations-backed meeting to combat sand and dust storms sometime in August, Ali Salajegheh, head of the Department of Environment, stated on Wednesday. 
Iran’s regional actions on sandstorms drove the international organization to choose Iran as the host, Salajegheh was quoted as saying by ISNA. 
The UN has coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hold the conference in August. It will be attended by ministers of environment from all over the world. 
An unprecedented number of sandstorms hit the Middle East over spring and summer, disrupting daily life, canceling flights and creating difficulties in breathing especially among the elderly. 
To tackle the problem, Iran in July hosted a meeting participated by environmental officials from 11 regional nations to boost collective action against dust storms. 
According to the head of the Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM), Letizia Rossano, Iran is the first country to have established a coordinating committee to fight sandstorms at a national level.
Salajegheh added that Tehran was dispatching a delegation to Iraq to assess solutions that can help both neighboring nations tackle the environmental disaster. 
“We’re expanding our meetings with neighboring countries. Egypt has also expressed interest in attending Tehran’s meeting,” the official stated. 
A large number of sandstorms in Iran originate from sources of dust located in Iraq and Syria, making regional cooperation essential. The government sent teams of experts to both countries in early autumn to discuss viable solutions. 
Sandstorms can adversely influence agriculture, aviation and ground transportation and contribute to poor air quality, which in turn can lead to premature death. Millions of people around the world are affected by the hazardous airborne particles every day.