The four experts addressed a specialized meeting held virtually on the tenth anniversary of the inscription of the Lut Desert on the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 18. The meeting was organized by Tehran University’s International Desert Research Center and the Lut Desert World Heritage Site.

Nasser Mashhadi, a University of Tehran professor and geomorphology researcher, described the Lut Desert as a natural museum of wind and water processes, highlighting its unique geological features, including yardangs, known locally as kalouts, sand dunes, alluvial plains and rare armoured mud balls. He said the desert’s exceptional geomorphological diversity provides valuable opportunities for scientific research, education and the development of geotourism.

Hessam Ahmadi Birgani, a faculty member at the University of Urmia’s Faculty of Natural Resources, highlighted the economic and tourism potential of Iran’s sandy areas, noting that they cover about five million hectares of the country’s territory. He called for a shift in approach from viewing sand dunes as a “threat” to recognizing them as an “opportunity,” pointing to new industrial applications of sand as well as the potential of dark skies, desert silence and local community participation in developing sustainable tourism.

Hamidreza Naseri, a University of Tehran professor and head of the International Desert Research Center, presented the results of the first ground-based measurement of the Lut Desert’s surface temperature conducted July 18, 2022, saying that the findings confirmed satellite data and reinforced the Lut’s status as one of the hottest places on Earth and a natural laboratory for climate, geography and climate-change studies.

Mehran Maqsoudi, a University of Tehran professor and director of the Lut Desert World Heritage Site, highlighted the desert’s unique ecosystem, including heat- and drought-resistant plant species and animals adapted to its harsh climate, and described the Lut’s kalouts as the world’s tallest, longest and most continuous known yardangs.

Participants stressed the need for scientific management of tourism, empowerment of local communities, continuous monitoring of climate change and national and international cooperation to protect the world heritage site.