TEHRAN – Iran plans to provide a budget to equip the environmental defenders with technological advances, Jamshid Mohabbat Khani, commander of the protection unit of the Department of Environment (DOE) has announced.

It is planned to purchase quadcopters, set up a nationwide wireless system and to install cameras on the rangers’ uniforms, he stated, Mehr news agency reported on Tuesday.

Mohabbat Khani, referring to the order issued by the DOE to equip environmental protection facilities in the four areas under the supervision of the organization, said that the provinces are supposed to provide the best facilities by estimating their needs and coordinating with the DOE.

He added that if this year’s budget is provided, many of the equipment will be upgraded.

Pointing to the purchase of quadcopters to monitor protected areas, prevent crime, identify and even deal with poachers, he said that some quadcopters can carry 100 liters of water and spray it over areas burning in fire.

Installing cameras on rangers’ uniform is another plan that can be effective in documenting while helping the defenders to prove conflicts with poachers to the judiciary, he highlighted.

Mohabbat Khani explained about the establishment of a wireless system, saying that “currently, in some provinces, protection units do not have such system, and in other provinces, there are old wireless devices.”

The new wireless devices have a GPS that can be used to track and monitor the forces in the event of an accident, and the rangers can contact all the country's police stations, he highlighted.

Marine protection to be promoted

Stating that the DOE is also trying to promote protection in the maritime areas, he noted that “to do this, we will soon launch air monitoring system over the maritime areas and wetlands in the country.”

Fishermen's boats are generally faster than the maritime rangers’ boats, which is why we have a problem preventing crime, and we have prioritized equipping the boats, he emphasized.

He went on to state that 50 marine rangers will soon be recruited and trained, then they will be active in 7 provinces where there are maritime areas.

70% of wildfires unintentionally set

Elsewhere in his remarks, Mohabbat Khani pointed to the above-normal rainfall this year and last year and the increase in the vegetation of rangelands and forests across the country and highlighted that the risk of wildfires in the country increases.

According to statistics recorded in previous years, 70 percent of fires in the country's forests and pastures have been set unintentionally by the tourists, and given that the risk of wildfires is high this year, people should be more careful when camping in nature.

He cited fires that are set for cooking, cigarettes, and other incendiary items, along with garbage that turns into a magnifying glass by sunlight and ignites, as the main causes of wildfires in the country.

Another 20 percent of the fires were intentional due to land-use changes and other illegal motives, and 10 percent were set naturally, he stated.

In all provinces, teams of trained environmentalist defenders are on duty, he said, adding, these forces are equipped with the special firefighting facilities that have provided been last year.

He further announced the readiness of the Disaster Management Organization, the Armed Forces, and the DOE, to deal with possible fires.

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