TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) will receive a budget rise by 47 percent as proposed in the budget bill for the next calendar year (starting on March 21, 2019), an official with the DOE has said.

“We received a total budget of 2.54 trillion rials (nearly $60 million) over the current Iranian calendar year, which will increase to 3.73 trillion rials (around $88 million) for the next year,” Mina Ebrahimi, deputy director of DOE’s budget and planning center said, DOE’s official website reported on Wednesday.

Moreover, Amir Zand, caretaker of DOE’s budget and planning center also said on December 23 that some 55.7 billion rials (about $1.3 million) is considered for combatting air pollution and a total of 1.67 trillion rials (nearly $40 million) will be allotted to protecting the biodiversity through restoration of the country's wetlands, as well as conservation and revival of Golestan National Park and areas under the organization’s protection.

He went on to highlight that another 51.8 billion rials (approximately $1.2 million) will also be earmarked for research and development in environmental issues.

Zand further stated that a budget amounting to 10 trillion rials (around $240 million) is proposed in the budget bill to create regional facilities for waste management by private sector, aiming at reducing irreparable damages caused by poor waste management, especially in the northern cities of the country.

Referring to 40 percent increase in development plans budget for the DOE, he noted that for development plans also a credit of 2.43 trillion rials (around $58 million) will be allocated.

And the Department’s expenses are to be 1.02 trillion rials (about $24 million), of which some 350 billion rials ($8.3 million) will be allocated to increase protection in areas safeguarded by the rangers, he said.

Pointing to the staff shortage in the DOE, he highlighted that the necessary measures for recruiting 350 rangers and 200 environmental experts annually are being taken to compensate for the shortages.

Jamshid Mohabbat Khani, head of the DOE’s protection unit, said earlier this month that there should be 8,500 rangers protecting the country’s natural resources and environment, however, there are 3,200 rangers working in the country.

President Hassan Rouhani presented the administration’s draft of the national budget bill for the next year to the Majlis on December 24, which amounts to 17.03 quadrillion rials (about $405 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials). Supplying basic goods, treatment and medical equipment; securing livelihood; supporting production and employment; promoting tourism; and preserving water resources and environment are the focal points of the bill. 

FB/MQ/MG