Zagros forests gain UN protection following Iran’s proposal
The United Nations’ Asia-Pacific disaster management arm (APDIM) formally adopted forest fire prevention in Iran’s Zagros range as a regional priority, following a proposal by Iran, according to documents released at the 81st annual session of ESCAP in Bangkok on July 26.
The move marks a “significant step” in safeguarding one of the Middle East’s largest and most vulnerable forest ecosystems, long threatened by intensifying wildfires, IRNA reported.
The Plan and Budget Organization of Iran, the national focal point for APDIM, played a central role in getting the initiative off the ground and is now pushing forward with bilateral cooperation projects, in coordination with Iran’s Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization.
The adopted programs aim to boost regional preparedness and capacity to tackle large-scale forest blazes, APDIM officials said. The Iranian proposal also urges an expansion of APDIM’s scope to address pest outbreaks and forest diseases—issues Tehran wants brought to the table at the center’s upcoming Governing Council meeting.
Iran’s delegation emphasized that “transboundary environmental challenges require collective action,” adding that broader APDIM engagement could lead to more effective international responses to forest degradation.
The project builds on Tehran’s earlier collaboration with APDIM on combating cross-border dust storms. Iranian officials expressed hope that deeper ties with the UN body and related institutions will lead to more “tangible improvements” in disaster management across the region.