TEHRAN – The number of protected areas under the supervision of the Department of Environment has increased 5.5 times after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.   

Before the Revolution, there were a total of 58 protected areas in the country, Alireza Najimi, an official with the DOE said.

The number of protected areas has increased to 309 after the Islamic Revolution, ISNA quoted Najimi as saying.

In terms of area, the protected sites have expanded from 6.335 million hectares to 18.963 million hectares, he added.

In September 2023, Hasan Akbari, the DOE director for natural environment and biodiversity, said that during the last two years, the number of protected areas under a comprehensive management plan has increased, indicating a growth of 18 percent.

"The comprehensive plan studies the condition of wildlife, vegetation, water, and soil. Based on that, the land is classified into several zones," IRNA quoted Akbari as saying.

In these zones, parts of the area are considered only for protection, parts for recreation and nature tourism, and small parts for administrative activities, he explained.

“In fact, zoning and management are done based on specific conditions and the use of land."

A series of restrictions are imposed on these zones. For example, road construction or mining are banned. These limitations will ultimately lead to better management and preservation of the region, Akbari concluded.

MG