Director of the Comprehensive Scheme on Tehran Air Pollution warned that damages associated with air pollution will hit $16 billion by 2016 in the country should the current trend continue.
In an interview with Fars news agency, Fathollah Ommi cited latest World Bank reports based on which the cost of air pollution in the country amounted to $8 billion by 2006.
“With the continuation of the current trend, the losses attributed to air pollution will double by 2016,“ the official warned.
Tehran air pollution has links to factors such as wind, climatic conditions as well as stationary and mobile sources of pollution.
Ommi stated that the total gasoline consumption stands at 75 million liters per day, with the consumption per vehicle for the country’s seven million cars put at 10 liters daily.
He added that three million of these vehicles are in Tehran.
“Close to 300,000 new vehicles join the capital’s transportation fleet per annum. Considering that each car emits equal to one ton of pollutants into the air annually, the total amount of pollution from cars in Tehran, many of which do not meet global emission standards, is estimated at three million tons per annum,“ the official concluded.

Spain’s Environment Minister Cristina Narbona expressed her country’s readiness to cooperate with Iran in the field of the environment.
At a meeting with Iran Ambassador to Spain, Seyyed Davoud Salehi, the official stated that her country is ready to assist the Islamic Republic to reduce air pollution in Tehran and other major cities.
As reported by IRNA, she described environmental conditions in Iran and Spain as very similar.
Terming Iranian plans to cut air pollution as important, the official underscored that the European state can help the country materialize its objectives.
“By sharing their experiences, the two countries can achieve cleaner air and environment, and a pristine natural beauty,“ Narbona observed.
She voiced hope that the two countries would expand bilateral cooperation by signing an environmental accord.
The official invited Fatemeh Vaez-Javadi, chairwoman of Iran Department of Environment, to pay a visit to the European country to assess opportunities for mutual cooperation.
Salehi, for his part, briefed the Spanish minister on Iran’s environmental schemes and its efforts to rejuvenate forests and pastures, phase out dilapidated vehicles as well as make cars gas-fueled.
Highlighting the country’s determination to use non-fossil energy, the ambassador stressed, “Iran is determined to supply 20,000 megawatts of its electricity requirements via nuclear energy within the next two decades.“
The official also invited Narbona to visit Iran for signing an environmental agreement.

Caspian seals--the Caspian Sea’s sole mammal--which draw tourists to the region from across the world are on the verge of extinction.
Caspian seals with the scientific name Pusa caspica belong to the phocidae family, also known as the true seals or earless seals.
Adults are approximately 160 cm in length and weigh around 100 kg. Caspian seals are distinguishable from other seal species due to their spots. The spots are darker in males.
The endangered mammals are endemic to Caspian Sea living on its rocky islands and floating blocks of ice that dot the inland water. They can also be found in limited numbers along shorelines. The seals can be seen in different parts of the sea since they change their habitats during warm and cold seasons.
Living in groups, the marine mammals populate the northern Caspian in winter.
As the ice melts in warmer season, they are usually found in the southern parts of the Caspian where cooler waters exist due to greater depth.
Recent researches indicate that a great number of Caspian Seals are sick, with many dying of diseases.
The beautiful mammals, which live maximum 50 years, feed on a variety of fish especially Caspian kilka and carp.
Excessive poaching in previous years and pollution in recent years have pushed the Caspian Seals to the verge of extinction.
A drastic decline in Caspian Seal population during the final years of the 20th century has placed the marine mammal on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The Caspian Seals can mostly be found near Iran shorelines rather than four other Caspian littoral states in spring and summer.
Deputy head of Mazandaran Department of Environment said that the Caspian seal is one of the 19 seal species in the world.
In an interview with Iran Daily, Dariush Moqaddas stated that the endangered mammals inhabit shallow waters of northern Caspian Sea where the surface water freezes.
According to the official, they reproduce and breed their pups on blocks of ice.
The pups with white and long furs live together with their parents until the age of two, he noted.
Due to their precious furs, they have been victims of hunters over the past centuries, he said.
Moqaddas stressed that a great number of tourists from Asia, Europe and Africa travel to Caspian states to see the beautiful animal.
“Iran can earn money by offering marine cruises to foreign ecotourists eager to watch Caspian Seals hunting for food,“ he proposed.
Hunting the mammals is banned since they have been listed as endangered by IUCN, the expert noted.
Estimating the number of Caspian seals at 100,000, Moqaddas stressed that their death rate has declined in recent years thanks to prudent preservation measures.
The official, however, said there is a possibility for the animals to be trapped in fishing nets.
A 2003 oil leakage on Azerbaijan territorial waters caused a large number of seals to perish, the expert regretted.
Moqaddas also recalled that a number of them became infected with rabies which they acquired from jackals and dogs approaching the coastlines.

37 fire incidents were reported in Minoudasht during Jan. 21-Feb. 2.

Warm weather, insufficient precipitation, local winds and carelessness of livestock breeders sparked 63 fire incidents in Golestan forests during Jan. 21-Feb. 2.
The wildfires burned up 240 hectares of woodlands in Minoudasht, Gorgan, Azadshahr, Aliabad, Kolaleh and Ramian inflicting a loss of 1.2 billion rials altogether.
According to CHN, Minoudasht was the worst-hit area where 37 bushfires were reported.
Deputy head of Golestan Natural Resources Department for protection and land affairs put the blame on poor rainfall, warm temperatures as well as inattentiveness of ecotourists and cattle breeders.
Hamid Salamati urged the campers and sightseers to be careful not to cause fires.
The official underlined that provincial rangers regularly patrol Golestan forests in cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran Police so they could take prompt action in case of fire incidents.
Pointing out that the province has a variety of fire extinguishing equipment, he said, “The department has proposed that the provincial Natural Disaster Taskforce of Governor General’s Office allocate eight billion rials for the purchase of new equipment.“
Salamati explained that raising public awareness, repairing forest roads and installation of weather forecast meteorological equipment in Golestan heights are part of the plan.
He, however, stressed that negotiations on the proposal have not yet borne results.
The official stated that the province is more prone to bushfires compared to the other two Caspian provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran because of its comparatively drier weather.

A view of Zarivar Lake in Marivan, Kurdestan province

Managing director of Kurdestan Department of Environment said Zarivar Wetland has one of the highest purity levels among other domestic wetlands, ILNA reported.
Kheirollah Moradi noted, “Zarivar ranks as one of the most pollution-free wetlands in the country, thanks to several pollution reduction projects conducted by the department at a cost of 30 billion rials.“
He pointed out that the 2,730-hecater wetland is spring-fed from water oozing up from below the ground surface.
“The wetland is rich in terms of diversity of fauna species, including both native and migratory waterfowls.“
According to Moradi, wildlife species such as bears, boars, foxes and wolves are found in the vicinity of the wetland. It is also home to a diversity of native and exotic fish species including carp and sicklefish.
In the past, wastewater from the 75,000-strong-city of Marivan was discharged into the lake. “However, the sewage was directed to the wetland downstream as of 2003. In addition, a wastewater treatment system is being constructed for the city which has already progressed by 40 percent. The main network for transferring wastewater from 12 villages located to the west of the wetland is complete and the subsidiary connections are being laid,“ he concluded.

Guangzhou, Shanghai and other large coastal cities in China could face “unimaginable challenges“ if global warming continues and the oceans keep rising, state media said.
A report released recently by the State Oceanic Administration has warned of a rapid rise in sea levels that threatens China’s densely populated east coast, the China Daily reported.
“The speed is astonishing,“ AFP quoted Lu Xuedu, deputy director of environmental division of the Ministry of Science and Technology as saying.
The sea level had risen by an average of 2.5 millimeters annually in recent years. Over the next decade, the sea would rise by up to 31 millimeters, threatening low-lying cities.
“They’ll begin building dykes like the Dutch, to stop the cities from being flooded,“ said Yang Ailun, an expert on climate change with Greenpeace China.
“But building dykes will be an action taken too late, and we first need to start cutting greenhouse gas emissions,“ she said.
China is preparing a campaign to alert local officials to global warming, the paper said. The plan calls for the reduction of greenhouse gases and development of climate-friendly technologies. It is likely to exert only minor pressure on local officials, as it will not set specific targets and will be “more of a guideline,“ said Lu.
The effort comes after the UN International Panel on Climate Change earlier this month issued a hard-hitting report saying the Earth’s surface temperatures would rise by between 1.8 and 4.0 degrees C this century. The report predicted sea-levels could rise by up to 59 centimeters.
China may now be the world’s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after the United States. But the government points out that the per capita emissions of the nation’s 1.3 billion people pale in comparison with per capita emissions from developed countries.

Bins have been installed in parks, squares and major streets of Qazvin city to collect used batteries classified as hazardous waste. Commenting on the initiative, managing director of Qazvin Municipality’s Recycling Organization explained that batteries contain heavy metals which threaten human health and environment, soil and water in particular.
Heydar Barani told IRNA that recycling batteries is of great importance considering that concentration of heavy metals in plants and their entry into the food cycle is dangerous.
The official stated that between 60 and 80 percent of metals such as mercury, lead, zinc and nickel in waste batteries are recyclable and can be used in new ones.
Highlighting the danger of used batteries, he said that unsafe disposal of a single cell phone battery can contaminate 600,000 liters of water.
Barani elaborated that the scheme is aimed to ensure citizens’ health and preserve the environment.
He appealed to Qazvin residents to help the organization in this regard. “Some 50 million rials has been spent on the scheme,“ he added.
The 370,000-strong city has four municipal districts.