TEHRAN -- The head of Iran's Department of Environment says more than any other time, environment is in need of heroes.

Speaking in a sports conference held in Olympic Hotel in Tehran on Friday on the occasion of the Youth Week, Masoumeh Ebtekar urged for all-out participation in a campaign for protecting environment.

Athletes are also affected by environment and need a healthy environment more than others, she said, according to ISNA.

Ebtekar pointed attention at the fact that jungles cover only 6 percent of Iran's area, calling for special care about jungles.

SP/P