Expert Team Due in Iraq to Pursue Issue of Dust Storms

A team of Iranian experts were to travel to Iraq on Saturday to visit dust source regions and work out viable solutions for frequents storms of sand hitting both nations, a senior official with the Department of Environment said. 
“With the negotiations and continuous follow-ups of the DoE, we finally obtained authorization to send a group of experts to Iraq,” Ali Mohammad Tahmasbi Biragani, secretary of DoE’s national committee against sandstorms, was quoted as saying by IRNA. 
Storms of dust have been blanketing large areas in the Middle East over the past few years, disrupting daily life, canceling flights and causing severe respiratory problems for citizens, especially individuals suffering from pre-existing health conditions. 
The intensity and frequency of dust storms over spring drove Iran to hold a meeting with 12 regional nations in July to address the environmental problem. 
During July’s meeting, Iraq agreed with Tehran’s proposal to dispatch a team of specialists to the neighboring country to assess dust source regions in October. 
Tahmasbi explained, “This is a seven-member expert team picked from the DoE, ministries of foreign affair, agriculture, petroleum, energy as well as armed forces.”
The team has so far held four meetings to coordinate efforts for their four-day trip. 
“After the return of the Iranian team, an Iraqi group will visit Iran to visit dust source regions,” Tahmasbi noted, adding that Iran will share its experience with tackling arid lands with Iraq during the future trip. 
Details of the Iranian team’s visit to Baghdad have been laid out and they are scheduled to meet with Iraqi officials, including ministers of agriculture and environment and authorities in charge of fighting desertification. 
High-speed winds carry dust and particles to Iran from Syria and Iraq, making joint efforts necessary to solve the problem of sandstorms.