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Will thawing Iran's frozen assets help slow down climate change?

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, who heads the country’s Environmental Protection Organization, outlines her views on Iran's environmental challenges — and how to confront them.
Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoumeh Ebtekar delivers a speech during the opening session of the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) at Le Bourget, near Paris, France, November 30, 2015.                  REUTERS/Stephane Mahe - RTX1WKDZ

Iran is facing a major water crisis, widespread drought, hazardous air pollution in its main cities, dust storms and drying up of lakes and aquifers. In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, who heads the country’s Environmental Protection Organization, outlined her views on these challenges — and how to confront them.

Ebtekar was the first person who officially spoke about the negative impact of interferences with satellite TV signals on the health of Iranians. She believes that the environment was far from among the top priorities of the previous administration of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In this vein, Ebtekar argued that the revived focus on the environment following the election of President Hassan Rouhani has resulted in tangible efforts to combat Iran’s myriad environmental problems. She also said that one outcome of the latter has been successful engagement with international partners and enlistment of their assistance in confronting environmental degradation in Iran.

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