Baku, Azerbaijan, April 3
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Head of Iran's Environmental Protection Organization called for more cooperation between Iran and Japan on environmental issues.
Masoumeh Ebtekar, who is in Tokyo to meet with Japanese officials made the remarks during a meeting with head of Japan International Cooperation Agency Akihiko Tanaka, Iranian IRNA news agency reported on April 3.
She also called for using the experiences of successful countries in this field. Ebtekar went on to say that the environmental problems do not remain inside borders and the problem of global warming is an example of this fact.
Iran and Japan are scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding on the environmental cooperation. Japan has already participated in some environmental projects in Iran.
The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding for second phase of the internationally known Anzali lagoon revival project in December 2013. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will invest $2 million in three projects, which are aimed at reviving of the Anzali lagoon in northern Iran, according to the memorandum. The JICA also implemented "the Study on Integrated Management for Ecosystem Conservation of the Anzali Lagoon" between February 2003 and March 2005.
Iran and Japan also have agreed on taking necessary measures by Japanese experts to prevent the drying of Lake Urmia. The Japanese experts from JICA are scheduled to visit West Azerbaijan province to observe the situation of the lake in April.
Lake Urmia in north-west Iran is experiencing its worst drought in many years. The water level has been declining since 1995. Officials have said if the current restoration efforts are not effective, the lake will be turned into a swamp within four years. Previous reports said Lake Urmia needs 3.1 billion cubic meters of water per year to survive.
Edited by C.N.