TEHRAN - Iran’s Ilam Province and Iraq’s Wasit Province are considering establishing a joint protected area to conserve valuable wildlife species, combat illegal hunting, and promote cross-border tourism across the two border provinces.

Emphasizing the need to expand bilateral cooperation in economic, cultural, sports, and environmental fields, Ilam Governor-General Ahmad Karami said the geographical proximity and longstanding ties between the people of Ilam and Wasit offered valuable opportunities to strengthen relations and implement joint initiatives.

He described the protection of shared border ecosystems as a key priority for cooperation, noting that the presence of rare and valuable wildlife species in the two neighboring provinces made coordinated conservation measures essential to prevent their extinction.

The Ilam Department of Environment had prepared a proposal to establish a "joint protected area" and expressed hope that it would be signed in the presence of the Wasit governor-general and environmental officials from both sides, Karami said on the sidelines of a meeting with the governor-general of Wasit in the Iraqi city of Kut on Thursday.

The initiative, he added, could help effectively combat illegal hunting while creating opportunities for tourists to visit the area and generating sustainable income from its natural and environmental assets.

The Ilam governor-general also proposed signing a sister-city agreement between Ilam and Kut, saying the initiative could strengthen cultural and regional ties and foster closer people-to-people relations between the two provinces.

In May, Head of the Department of Environment (DOE) Shina Ansari called on Iraqi President Nizar Amedi to help address the environmental challenges facing the two neighboring countries.

In a letter to Amedi, who previously served as Iraq’s environment minister, Ansari said Iran and Iraq faced similar environmental problems, including drought, desertification, and sand and dust storms (SDSs), stemming from their shared geographical and climatic conditions.

She stressed that the effects of these challenges extended beyond national borders, requiring close, sustained, and strategic cooperation between the two countries.

Ansari also highlighted the importance of strengthening environmental cooperation, particularly in water resource management and addressing major sources of sand and dust storms.

According to Mehr News Agency, she said Amedi’s valuable experience in his previous position could provide an important foundation for tackling shared environmental problems and strengthening bilateral relations.

-------------- Water rights, sand and dust storms

In October 2025, Iranian and Iraqi officials discussed environmental challenges affecting the Hour al-Azim wetland, which straddles the border between the two countries, with particular attention to drought and spontaneous fires.

During a meeting in Iraq, Iranian DOE officials stressed the importance of Iraq ensuring the wetland's water rights. The failure to secure these rights has contributed to the wetland's drying up, triggering spontaneous fires that release large amounts of smoke and air pollutants and adversely affect cities in Khuzestan Province, according to the DOE website.

The Iranian delegation also underscored the need for better water resource management and consumption control along the Tigris River to secure the wetland's water supply, prevent fires from spreading in its Iraqi section, and curb the movement of pollutants toward Khuzestan.

Iraqi officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs outlined water levels in reservoirs behind dams along the Tigris River and described the severe drought affecting the region. They pledged to secure the wetland's water rights in the following year.

The two sides also discussed deploying firefighting aircraft and helicopters to extinguish fires and improve wetland management.

Enhancing scientific cooperation to address shared environmental challenges was another issue raised during the meeting.

The DOE has emphasized cooperation with Baghdad to tackle sand and dust storm hotspots in Iraq, which severely affect Iran's western and southwestern regions.

In September 2024, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, during a meeting with Ansari, said joint environmental initiatives and follow-up on previously reached agreements would be among the main pillars of cooperation with Iraq, IRNA reported.

A study by four Iranian researchers has also identified Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia as the main sources of sand and dust storms affecting Iran.

The study, titled "Dust in Western Iran: The Emergence of New Sources in Response to Shrinking Water Bodies," was authored by Azar Beyranvand, Ghasem Azizi, Omid Alizadeh, and Ali Darvishi Boloorani and published in the journal Nature on September 27, 2023.

According to the study, the most influential dust sources affecting western Iran are located around Lake Tharthar, the Hour al-Azim Marsh, Lake Razzaza, Lake Habbaniyah, and the West Hammar Marsh. These sources accounted for 110, 79, 59, 56, and 51 dusty days, respectively.

The study further found that dust activity in western Iran peaked between 2008 and 2012, following the substantial shrinkage of major water bodies in Iraq.