TEHRAN – Air pollution, landslides and lack of water resources are emerging as major challenges and concerns that require national consensus to effectively address them, said Shina Ansari, the new head of the Department of Environment (DOE).

Sand and dust storms in the eastern, western and southwestern provinces of the country are also posing a major challenge to people’s lives, IRNA quoted Ansari as saying.

“First, these challenges must be identified and their potential impact on society, economy, ecology, health and even security taken into account in order to address environmental problems at a high level and in interagency coordination,” the official noted.

The main responsibility of the Ministry of Environment in the fight against air pollution is to take appropriate measures and monitor their implementation, she added.

According to Ansari, key factors in the fight against air pollution include phasing out old cars, improving fuel and vehicle quality, expanding public transport, providing resources and reducing industrial emissions.

However, she stressed that air pollution is a major challenge in large and industrial cities and cannot be tackled in a short time.

Regarding climate change, the official said droughts, floods and changes in rainfall patterns were among the impacts of climate change that were increasing in West Asia.

Noting that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most effective ways to mitigate the impacts of climate change, Ansari said there are plans that need to be implemented and that cities need to be made more resilient to the challenges of climate change.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the development of clean energy is essential. However, harnessing the free solar energy available in the region requires initial investment.

As water shortages worsen due to climate change, landslides are also occurring, Ansari explained. However, there are various ways to address these problems, such as changing agricultural cultivation methods.

In addition, licensing to water-consuming industries in dry and critical areas should be banned and the implementation of development plans should be emphasized.

Cross-border issues such as water rights and sand and dust storms could be pursued further by the State Department, she added.

The official further stressed that people’s cooperation and participation are crucial to tackling ecological problems.

According to Article 50 of the Constitution, environmental protection is a public duty, but it seems that at various times it has only had a ceremonial function. It is important to enable and ensure meaningful participation of the people by providing them with opportunities for their involvement in environmental protection activities, Ansari further noted.

MT/MG