Iraq and Iran to jointly combat alarming increase in sandstorms: Iraqi FM  

Iraq and Iran discussed ways to tackle the negative consequences of an alarming increase in sandstorms in both neighbouring countries during a meeting earlier this week in Baghdad between Iraq's foreign minister Foad Hussein and the head of the Iranian department of environment Ali Salajegheh. 

The Iraqi foreign minister stressed the need for a wider regional dialogue to discuss the consequences of weather changes in the area, and ways of combating sandstorms, droughts, desertification, and ecology issues, according to a statement released to the press. 

"Water management dossier between Iraq and Iran was also discussed between both sides. There would be more meetings on the joint rivers between both sides, and finding successful solutions for water resources in the interest of both neighbouring countries," the statement added.  

The Iranian official has reportedly said that the Iranian energy minister will soon visit Iraq to "discuss the issue of an increase in sandstorms."

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian late last month spoke on the phone with his counterparts from Iraq, Syria, and Kuwait on "the need to exchange ideas, put the issue of regional cooperation to deal with dust storms on the agenda quickly and finding effective and urgent solutions to address the sandstorms," Fars News reported. 

According to the United Nations, Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country in the world affected by the climate crisis. The country is also suffering from a severe drought due to low rainfalls as well as the building of dams by neighbouring Iran and Turkey. 

Extreme temperatures and a lack of long term environmental plans have also led to the drying up of lakes, farmland and desertification of large parts of the country.

Iraq's state media quoted Amar Mussa Kadhim on Wednesday as saying that the second phase of Baghdad's "Green Belt" project has been initiated aiming at restricting the increasing sandstorms.