“We are very susceptible to climate change and desertification. So we need to be careful and do a proper management to stop and at least reduce the rate of desertification otherwise in the near future we would not have a good situation in terms of natural resources,” Adjunct aAssociate Professor of University of South Australia Dr. Ali Hasanli said.
“Now a day technology can be very useful in this field. As you know climate system is a complex which includes very complicated processes and interactions that some of them are not known for us, if we use well advanced software, historical data and have good advance model then we can project the effect of this process and manage it better. Historical data is another gap because we don’t have access to historical precise data. We can’t manage without any measurement, monitoring and understanding,” Dr. Ali Hasanli added in an exclusive interview with ISNA.
Dr Hasanli is also Emeritus Professor of Shiraz University, Iran. His interest and academic experience is in water engineering, water sensitive urban design, recycled wastewater reuse and environmental management, sustainable irrigation management, salinity management, climate change and adaptation strategies for water and environment.
“So I would like to emphasize on public awareness which is very important issue. People should understand what’s going on. Government and institute and universities should try more to transfer this knowledge to people and then all together we can act to control the issues,” he went on to say.
“Participation of people can be very helpful. Governments cannot be able to handle this problem alone so it could be quite useful if local people do not cut the trees, do not do the deforestation, conserve and protect the environment. Therefore first we need to increase the awareness about the problems and challenges in the community then the participation could work,” Hasanli continued.
“I visited many countries and I think Iran is fortunately working well in this field, although we still need work match. Iran’s government, academy and some agents that are involved in environment, natural resources and forest management are aware and doing well. But the extent of desertification and the effect of climate change are growing fast so we need much more work,” he insisted.
“In conclusion we can say Iran is doing well comparing to the other countries but it is not enough. We need to match work, to use the experience of the other people, to define the issue, to increase the awareness and understanding of people of surrounding area and then we should help people and encourage them to participate. In this case we can try altogether to stop this issue,” the professor noted.
“One of the important thing is that climate change is not a regional thing but it is widely extended so we need to have regional collaboration otherwise if we close the door and just focusing on small area then our action would not be affective. So I can say collaboration of regional agents could be very important particularly about dust storm which is very challenging issue that we are facing with it,” he said.
“Desertification is progressing and extending gradually. In Climate change and desertification we have a tipping point which means sometimes something is happening but you don’t realize and you can’t see unless we reach the final phases of it. In that time the affect would be very sudden, severe and impossible to reverse,” Hasanali added.
“Desertification is a process of decreasing the capacity of resources.Also when soil is solid, water quality is dropped, ground water is finished and erosion is happening, these are types of desertification so perhaps we can see some effect of it but when It is extended and spread and when it is very hard to control, so we need to realize and find a solution to stop it,” he went on to say.
“June 17 is a good day to know more about desertification and climate change and is good opportunity to have some presentation and show, to invite local people and explain them what’s happening to save our county and to less to be decertified,” Hassanli added.
He emphasized Iran is so susceptible to desertification because of its geographical location so not only in terms of erosion but in terms of water scarcity and soil solidity and dropping water quality and our exploitationof ground water level, in any aspects Iran moving toward desert area so we need to be careful and that day is good day to try gather all researcher and scientists and local people and those who are interested to share experience and explain the issue and try to raise the publicawareness about this challenging issue.
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