TEHRAN – The head of the Department of Environment (DOE), Shina Ansari, and the head of the natural resources and watershed management organization, Ali Teymouri, have discussed ways to develop joint activities.

The officials’ meeting on Sunday focused on mitigating sand and dust storms (SDSs) impacts by providing practical solutions and improving air quality; planning to prevent and manage forest fires; developing forest socialization by attracting the participation of local communities in the protection and sustainable forests management; and applying scientific methods to calculate the economic value of forests and formulate sustainable development policies, IRNA reported.

A joint committee is planned to be established to follow up on the implementation of the mentioned issues. The officials also highlighted holding joint drills to boost preparedness for crisis management.

Conservation of natural resources

On March 9, the DOE held a national conference on the conservation of natural resources in Tehran.

“Concerning the fact that the country is affected by climate change, we need to take steps to develop adaptation solutions and foster resilience. It will require close cooperation among different organizations,” IRNA quoted Ansari as saying. 

“Over the last century, the world has lost one-third of its natural resources. In our country, the depletion of natural resources has occurred in both quantitative and qualitative terms for various reasons,” Ansari said while addressing the conference. 

When talking about the value of forests, economic benefits are usually considered, while non-market services such as water regulation, soil conservation, carbon sequestration, as well as the habitat of plant and animal species, are neglected.

The official went on to say that the DOE is estimating the value of 64 percent of sensitive ecosystems to be able to assess their true economic value. It will contribute to exploring the true value of natural capital as they are not everlasting.

“Moreover, it will help make correct decisions between development goals and the benefits of healthy ecosystems,” she added. 

Forests are home to 80 percent of terrestrial biodiversity, and forest degradation causes serious habitat destruction, leading to species loss, said Ansari.

The official also highlighted the significance of promoting environmental culture, educating local communities, restoring damaged areas, developing a sustainable forest management plan, utilizing modern technologies, and smart monitoring of the areas as the key factors in preserving natural resources.

According to the secretary of the national policymaking headquarters for dealing with sand and dust storms, 2.5 million hectares of sand dust storm hotspots in the country have been stabilized over the past six years.

The measure has been taken in cooperation with other organizations, particularly the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization. 

SDS hotspots in 23 provinces of the country cover roughly 35 million hectares. They are responsible for generating dust across the country, ISNA quoted Ali-Mohammad Tahmasbi, an official with the DOE, as saying.

Referring to the stabilization of 120,000 hectares of SDS hotspots in the southeast of the province as one of the significant measures of the national headquarters, Tahmasbi called it an example of successful cooperation and synergy between the administration and other institutions.

He further emphasized the significance of adopting measures based on the specific situation of any region such as the type of soil, climate, available water resources as well as scientific principles to achieve the desired results.

MT/MG