Iran’s forest ecosystems in peril, urgent action needed for conservation: DoE chief
The head of Iran’s Department of Environment (DoE), Shina Ansari, expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of the country’s forests, emphasizing the need for increased efforts in their preservation and conservation.
In a message read by her senior advisor at the 6th National Forest Conference of Iran, held at the University of Tehran, Ansari highlighted the rich biodiversity and diverse ecosystems of Iran’s varied geography, climate, and topography, Tasnim reported.
“Iran, with its vast expanse, has less than nine percent of its land covered by forests, including the Hyrcanian and Zagros forests,” Ansari said.
She further noted that Iran is among the world’s dry and semi-dry countries with less rainfall than global standards and limited forest cover. “From ancient times, Iranians have tried to preserve natural resources through sustainable management of water and soil resources,” she added.
Ansari emphasized the crucial role of forests in maintaining the balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and moisture on Earth, stating that they account for 40 percent of the world’s total oxygen.
She also highlighted that 80 percent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity is found in forest ecosystems, and the livelihoods of more than a quarter of the world’s population depend on forests.
The DoE head listed the various services provided by forests, including their intrinsic value, biodiversity, cultural and historical heritage, watershed protection, food cycles, carbon storage, biodiversity benefits, sustainable timber production, non-timber forest products, ecotourism, and flood and erosion control, among others.
“Today, biodiversity conservation and habitat protection are among the most important indicators of sustainable development worldwide,” Ansari said. She added that by 2030, UN member states should strive to achieve sustainable development goals at national, regional, and international levels. Enhancing ecosystem quality, preventing biodiversity loss, combating climate change, promoting healthy living, and improving community welfare are among the key objectives in the field of environment and forests.
Ansari pointed out several indicators of the declining state of Iran’s forests, including the emergence of various diseases, dieback of boxwood trees in the Hyrcanian forests, degradation of Zagros forest ecosystems, oak dieback, wood smuggling, over-exploitation of forests, deforestation, land encroachment, and change of forest land use.
She stressed the need for increased efforts in conserving the limited forest areas and protecting the biodiversity of forest ecosystems through protective and participatory measures.
Ansari emphasized the importance of adhering to the recommendations and policies regarding the environment and natural resources, as well as the principles and goals of sustainable development. These include explicit emphasis on protecting unique forest ecosystems, preserving essential ecological processes and life-supporting systems, conserving biodiversity and vulnerable species threatened with extinction or rare, and sustainably utilizing species and ecosystems.
She suggested several ways to save Iran’s forests, including expanding protected forest areas, promoting convergence in implementing territorial programs among various organizations, enforcing natural resources and environmental policies, raising awareness and implementing participatory conservation programs with a priority on cooperatives and local communities, controlling wood smuggling, installing monitoring and control tools at forest road entrances and wood and paper industries, and thoroughly evaluating the environmental impact of infrastructure development projects.
Ansari also mentioned additional measures such as preventing ecosystem disruption, assessing environmental economics and incorporating it into project cost-benefit models, utilizing modern technologies to reduce natural and human hazards like wildfires, monitoring and evaluating programs to resolve conflicts between livestock and sensitive and vulnerable habitats, implementing adaptation programs and increasing resilience to climate change, and finally, preparing a sustainable forest management package based on sustainability indicators with the participation of stakeholders.