Turkmenistan and Iran have expressed their shared commitment to collaborate in efforts to combat dust in the Kara-Kum ("Black Sand") Desert, Iran Press reports.
The information said that one of the largest sandy deserts on the planet covers an area of 10mn hectares in Turkmenistan and affects five northern provinces of Iran in the spring and autumn.
Minister of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan Chary Babaniyazov discussed this issue in the videoconference mode with Iranian Deputy Minister of Environment Iraj Heshmati. The sides stressed the importance of sharing experiences and conducting field visits to dust centers.
Babaniyazov emphasized the importance of developing vegetation to combat dust and desertification.
Turkmenistan was one of the first countries to ratify the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in 1996, and a year later it addressed the issues of rational use of pastures, mass planting of forests, consolidation of shifting sands.
The risk of sand and dust storms is projected to increase in the 2030s due to more extreme drought conditions also in parts of Western Australia, southeastern Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan.
Credits: Eziz Boyarov
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