By Hani Rastegaran

Qaleh Bala Village: a model of solidarity, creativity, and local development

TEHRAN - Qaleh Bala, a village nestled on the southern slopes of Mount Shahvar where the dry expanse of the desert blends into the wind‑shaped hills of the Kharturan buffer zone, has become one of the most remarkable examples of community‑based rural development in Iran. Its people, who have long struggled with drought, isolation, and lack of infrastructure, have relied on social cohesion and a series of small yet persistent innovations to transform what was once a depopulating settlement into a destination for community‑led ecotourism.