Iran demonstrates biodiversity at UN conference in Armenia
Iran is showcasing the biodiversity and conservation experience of Semnan province at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, as President Masoud Pezeshkian calls for stronger protection of nature during wartime.
In a speech to the summit on Monday, Pezeshkian said biodiversity conservation was no longer solely a scientific or environmental issue, but was directly linked to peace, security, public health, food and water security, and justice between generations.
He called for effective, transparent and enforceable mechanisms to protect natural heritage and biodiversity during war, arguing that countries facing military aggression or sanctions should not bear the environmental costs alone. Iran has been waged by the United States and Israel in two major military campaigns in recent years. The first was the 12-day war in June 2025, and the second 40-days war happened in late February 2026. COP17 runs from October 19 to 30 in Yerevan, where governments and international stakeholders are discussing biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. The Iranian pavilion was established by the Semnan Department of Environmental Protection with support from the province’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture.
Semnan Province, in north-central Iran, is home to diverse ecosystems, protected areas and endangered wildlife, including the Asiatic cheetah.
Saeed Yousefpour, head of the provincial environmental protection department, said the conference offered an opportunity to present Semnan’s natural assets, share conservation experience and expand international cooperation.
He highlighted the province’s work in wildlife protection and the management of the Touran and Kavir biosphere reserves. Yousefpour also stressed the importance of involving local communities in conservation programs, saying cooperation could help facilitate the exchange of knowledge and access to international scientific, technical and financial resources.
Semnan ranks first among Iran’s provinces in biodiversity, according to Yousefpour. Despite its reputation as a dry, desert region, the province supports a wide range of plant and animal species.