West Azarbaijan - Large-scale efforts to combat desertification and wind erosion around Lake Urmia have accelerated, according to an agricultural official with West Azarbaijan Province, in the northwest of Iran.

 

Seyed Nabi Qaemi, Director General of Natural Resources and Watershed Management of the province, said that since 2014, dust control and soil stabilization projects have been implemented across 30,000 hectares, with 26,000 hectares currently affected by wind erosion.

 

“Measures include irrigated tree and shrub planting over 2,367 hectares, construction of 175 kilometers of tamarisk-branch windbreaks to halt drifting sand, runoff management and seeding across 2,825 hectares, and regulated grazing and protected enclosures over 244,000 hectares. Nine monitoring stations have also been established to track wind erosion and dust levels,” he said.

 

Authorities say the initiatives are expected to reduce dust, stabilize soil, protect farmland, and improve environmental conditions in the Lake Urmia basin.