Cooperation between Khuzestan and Maysan Iraq for the Protection of the Hoor al-Azim Wetland

The Director General of Environmental Protection in Khuzestan announced the agreement of Maysan province in Iraq to allow Iranian researchers to study the Iraqi section of the Hoor al-Azim wetland. According to IRNA, Ahmadreza Lahijanizadeh reported on Tuesday, September 19, the formation of three joint working groups focusing on wetlands, controlling dust sources, and meteorology between experts from Khuzestan province in Iran and Maysan province in Iraq. Lahijanizadeh attributed the source of dust storms in Khuzestan to the drying up of 70% of the Hoor al-Azim wetland since 2002 in Iraq and stated: 'We expect Iraq to consider appropriate water rights for the dried wetlands, including the water rights of Hoor al-Azim from the Tigris River.' The Hoor al-Azim wetland is located on the border between Iran and Iraq and at the lower reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which originate from Turkey. The drying of this wetland, both in Iran and Iraq, has increased the frequency of dust storms, causing Khuzestan province to face dust levels approximately 21 times above the standard. In recent years, the dust crisis has repeatedly led to power, water, and internet outages in Ahvaz and several other cities in Khuzestan, resulting in local protests. In April of this year, the government approved the implementation of several projects in this province, including the stabilization of 42,000 hectares of internal dust crisis sources and the execution of water and sewage projects with a budget of about 10 trillion tomans. While the Director General of Environmental Protection in Khuzestan attributed the drying of the Iraqi section of the Hoor al-Azim wetland to the emergence of dust storms, Masoumeh Ebtekar, the former head of Iran's Environmental Organization, previously stated that permits granted by the previous Iranian government to the Ministry of Oil for exploration and extraction of oil in this area led to the destruction of the Hoor al-Azim wetland. According to IRNA, the head of the Wetlands Department in Maysan province, Iraq, described the new government's approach as 'protection of wetlands' and stated that since 2016, the Iraqi section of Hoor al-Azim has been registered with UNESCO, and Iraq committed to take actions in this wetland by 2017. Former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani previously criticized the lack of cooperation from neighboring countries regarding the dust phenomenon, stating that the dust phenomenon 'is not related to recent days and years' and 'all countries in the region, including the southern Gulf countries, are grappling with it.'