Iran: UNESCO participates in the second comprehensive event on crisis management

On the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office participated in the scientific workshop of the Second Comprehensive Event on Crisis Management, held at Sahahr-Aftab exhibition hall.

The most recent advancements of Iran in the field of crisis management and disaster response were exhibited at a three days’ fair. Sophisticated, locally-designed technologies were presented at the exhibition, including emergency mobile shelters, water purification technologies, fire extinguishers, field hospitals, bullet-proof containers, field kitchens, equipment related to chemical disasters and air pollution, and heat-isolated shelters. Producers from both the government and private manufacturers presented their products.

The Chair of the Iranian National Disaster Management Organization (NDMO) Dr. Najjar and the Governor-General of Tehran Province, Mr. Hashemi both attended the scientific seminar, which was followed by the closing of the exhibition. A number of military officials and heads of provincial disaster management offices were also present at the event.

During the scientific seminar, Ms. Niloofar Sadeghi of the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office, provided an overview of UNESCO’s global programmes in disaster risk reduction, early warning systems and post-disaster recovery. She also referred to UNESCO activities in Iran, particularly in the field of earthquake risk reduction and mentioned that for the first time in 2016, UNESCO had helped to organize simultaneous drills in both Iran and Pakistan.  

Her presentation was followed by those of several other speakers. Ms. Meike Groen of ICRC elaborated on ICRC’s role in reunifying family members during a crisis. Dr. Kangi presented a new modeling software for simulating damage to the water supply network and Mr. Abdolmajidzadeh of Sharif University presented a model for crisis management at industrial zones.

Mr. Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, Head of the Disaster Management Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture-Jihad talked about the Ministry’s recent technologies in control and extinguishing of vast forest fires.