Tehran, IRNA- The president of the Iran Meteorological Organization has highlighted the growing impact of climate change on extreme weather events such as dust and sand storms, saying an international conference on the issue being held in Tehran is a great opportunity for West and South Asian countries to take coordinated action to combat the recurrent phenomena.

Sahar Tajbakhsh Mosalman said on Saturday she hoped the International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms would lead to the creation of a regional database containing information not only on weather patterns but also the vulnerability and resilience of cities and countries to sand and dust storms.

Tajbakhsh stressed that access to such a database would help regional countries monitor and predict dust and sand storms more effectively.

“The information collected from these stations, in conjunction with data obtained from remote sensing sources such as satellites, ground observations, and other meteorological instruments, will assist us in providing more accurate forecasts,” she said.

The United Nations has chosen Iran to host the International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, building upon its successful experience in hosting a regional conference on the same subject last year.

The two-day conference began in Tehran on Saturday, with representatives from 50 countries, along with 15 international organizations in attendance.

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