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Arzezou Ashrafizadeh, an official with Iranian Environment Department said that about the meeting that "A comprehensive report was presented at this meeting on the latest status of the Hor al-Azim, which is called Hawizeh Marshes on the Iraqi side of the border." "In these talks, Iran has once again emphasized the need to manage the resources and uses of the Tigris River in order to meet the water needs of the Hor al-Azimmarshes, with the aim of preventing the intensification of fires in the Iraqi part of the marshes and the movement of pollution towards Khuzestan Province in Iran," she said. "The Iraqi side, for their part, presented a detailed report on the water status in the reservoirs of the dams built on the Tigris and the severe drought prevailing in the watershed, while it pledged to make utmost efforts to provide the wetland with its water shares in the new water year." Ashrafizadeh pointed to the cooperation between Iran and Iraq in using airplanes and helicopters for firefighting and the management of the marshes as other topics discussed in the meeting, adding that "A promise was obtained from Iraqi officials to provide all necessary permits and facilities for Iranian flights to extinguish the potnetial wildfires in the marshes." KI/ISN1404072818328
