Today, we become familiar with the impacts of haze and dust particles on Middle East’s environment.

As a reminder, last week we said that the Middle East’s environment has been faced with haze more than other parts of the world in the recent decades. One of the root causes of haze phenomenon in this region has been the inappropriate division of the water currents of Rivers Tigris and Euphrates; and mismanagement of waters sources that has in turn led to desertification in Iraq and Syria and parts of Iran.

Many environmentalists opine that haze has occurred in Middle East due to the destruction of wetlands in Mesopotamia. This is because one of the important functions of wetlands is enhancement of humidity and prevention of sandstorms. In the recent four decades, intensification of human interference in the environment of wetlands in Mesopotamia has led to destruction of 90% of these wetlands, turning them into running sands. The studies which have been carried out in recent decades have proved that occurrence of haze has turned into a lingering problem in Middle East after Howaizeh wetland dried up. This wetland covers a total area of 118,000 hectares and is located west of Khuzestan Province. The dryness of this wetland has mounted sandstorms and dust particles, suspending in air.

Several experiments that have been carried out on haze and dust particles show these dust particles have originated from wetlands, because a type of algae which exists in saline and fresh waters, referred to as Diatom, has been spotted in these dust particles. Satellite pictures also manifest that many of dust particles have originated from the destructed wetland in Mesopotamia, which was the largest wetland in Middle East in the past decades. Meanwhile, experts believe that the wetlands in Mesopotamia have dried up in the previous years due to construction of large dams over Rivers Tigris and Euphrates by Iraq and Turkey, leading to emergence of sandstorms across the region.

The United Nations Environment Plan had previously warned against emergence of a catastrophe in the region. A report released by the UN revealed that in the beginning of the new millennium, the destruction of wetlands in Mesopotamia is considered as one of the main environmental catastrophes in the world. The construction of dams and drainage networks has turned one of the best wetlands in the world into a desert. The fact of the matter is that destruction of 90% of wetlands in Mesopotamia is a prime example of a crisis which in turn can lead to mounting confrontations and wars in the region; intensification of pollution; endangerment of local communities; destruction of archeological sites and flora and fauna habitats; a rise in the number of refugees; and endangerment of human rights.

Although the public opinion solely attributes destruction of Mesopotamia to the former Iraqi dictator Saddam’s regime in the 1990s, experts believe that the majority of changes throughout the wetlands of Mesopotamia have occurred as of 1990-1995, with the Turkish government playing a significant role in the emergence of this catastrophe. UN reports show that the Turkish administration has mainly contributed to construction of dams and blockage of the water currents of Rivers Tigris and Euphrates. One of the main factors that led to dryness of lakes and wetlands in Iraq and Syria is the Southeast Anatolian Development Project in Turkey. In accordance to this project, the construction of more than twenty-two dams, implementation of nineteen hydroelectric projects, and development of agriculture in the basin of Rivers Tigris and Euphrates were placed on the agenda of Turkish government up until the year 2023. Up to now, nearly 21% of irrigation projects, and 74% of hydroelectric projects of Turkey in this basin has been completed. In accordance to existing documents, the capacity of the reservoirs of existing and constructed dams by Turkey over River Euphrates has been roughly 150% higher than this river’s total input. This is while 98% of the water sources of Iraq and 86% of water sources of Syria are dependent on Rivers Tigris and Euphrates.

Informed sources point out that the major project for transference of water which is carried out in Turkey with the main investment of the Zionists has dried up east Syria and Iraq. Meanwhile, implementation of these projects in these rivers has also sparked political, military, and diplomatic tensions among beneficiary countries, such as frictions between Turkey and Syria, and tensions between Syria and Iraq in the construction of Al-Thoura Dam.

Meanwhile, undoubtedly, the containment of haze in Middle East region necessitates cooperation among regional countries. In the past, the three countries of Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia have carried out joint measures to counter the emergence of haze and dust particles. For instance, these countries have provided for the costs of mulch spreading across these lands in a particular season throughout the year. Mulch is a sticky oil product which is used for handling running sands within deserts. However, the Iraq war and a change in the approach of these countries in the first decade of 21st century led to mounting haze in the region.

Similar crises, such as the related experience in Southeast Asia, have shown that resolution of environmental problems necessitates regional cooperation. This is because environmental problems have no boundaries. Hence, expediting the implementation of concluded memoranda of understanding among neighboring countries; and drafting the executive project for multilateral cooperation among regional countries for countering dust particles and haze are some measures that can be effective in uprooting haze.

MR/ME