TEHRAN – A bill has been proposed to the government to increase people's participation in the protection of biosphere reserves, Hassan Akbari, deputy head of natural environment and biodiversity of the Department of Environment (DOE) has said.

The DOE has prepared a bill to increase public participation in preserving the biosphere reserves and handed it over to the government for the approval of the Majlis [Iranian Parliament].

Economic prosperity, protection of biodiversity, and adaptation to climate change are among the goals of this bill, Akbari said, IRIB reported on Monday.

It also provides the necessary infrastructure for the legal use of the participation of the local community and environmental activists for the protection of biosphere reserves, he explained.

Biosphere reserves include terrestrial, marine, and coastal ecosystems. Each site promotes solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. There are currently 714 biosphere reserves in 129 countries, including 21 transboundary sites.

Iran is a vast country with a wide range of biodiversity and natural resources, with 13 biosphere reserves named Golestan, Miankaleh, Arasbaran, Urmia, Arjan and Parishan, Geno, Hara, Hamoon, Dena, Tange Sayad, Sabzkooh, Turan, Kavir and Kopet Dagh has been registered in the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program.

The Golestan Biosphere Reserve is located in the north of Iran and forms part of the Caucaso-Iranian highlands, situated between the sub-humid and semi-arid Caspian regions. 

A wide variety of habitats and rich biodiversity can be found in the reserve, including 150 bird species, 54 species of reptiles and amphibians, 8 species of huge carnivores such as the leopard and brown bear, and more than 1,366 plant species.

Dena Biosphere Reserve is located in the Central Zagros Mountains of Iran, with a general slope of more than 60 percent. Dena is also home to a vast range of plant species and several endangered and endemic mammal species. Oak species dominate the highlands, while pistachio and almond are common at lower elevations.

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