TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) has developed a comprehensive plan to preserve luristanica Sorbus, a rare plant species that is native to Iran and is classified as critically endangered.

The plant, also known as Hedlundia luristanica, is included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List due to restricted habitat (distributed mainly in Lorestan province), low number of maternal lines, high sensitivity to climate change, and human activities, ISNA quoted Alireza Najimi, an official with the DOE, as saying.

The initiative aims to ensure the long-term survival of the species, preserve its genetic resources, boost its natural population size and resilience to prevent the plant’s extinction, the official added.

The first phase of the plan focuses on identifying and recording maternal bases or lines, monitoring natural habitats, identifying risk factors including climate change, livestock grazing, and other human pressures, developing management strategies based on scientific approaches, and implementing both ex situ (out-of-habitat) and in situ (in-habitat) protection, Najimi further noted.

In May 2025, President Masoud Pezeshkian issued an order, obligating the DOE to develop a strategic plan to preserve endangered species in the country.

According to the latest report by the IUCN, some 154 species of Iranian vertebrates are critically endangered of extinction.

“The country needs a comprehensive and operational plan in the field of the environment that covers different environmental sectors. It must include goals, assumptions, operational measures, financial resources, and results,” IRNA quoted the president as saying.

Iran is a rich country in terms of biodiversity, with about 37,500 animal species and more than 8,000 plant species. In addition, it is home to 579 bird species, 214 mammal species, 284 reptile species, 23 amphibian species, 309 freshwater fish species, and 763 marine fish species in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Caspian Sea.

Also, some 35,283 species of invertebrates have been identified in the country, out of which more than 32,600 species are arthropods. Over 94 percent of the country’s animal species diversity belongs to invertebrates and less than 6 percent to vertebrates. Insects, with at least 26,800 species, account for more than 70 percent of the country’s total species.

The Asiatic cheetah and the ostrich, whose numbers in nature have dropped to less than 25, are among the critically endangered species. Moreover, there are 5 species of Caspian sturgeon, unique in the world, that are disappearing from the Caspian waters.

According to experts, species extinction is a natural phenomenon, but the speed at which they are disappearing is concerning. Unfortunately, the current rate of extinction has accelerated in the present era due to human activities; it will have serious consequences for ecosystems and the well-being of the planet.

Referring to the country’s biodiversity, Hamid Zohrabi, an official with the DOE, stated, “Sadly, the unsustainable exploitation of biological resources has affected and disrupted ecosystems in several areas.”

The DOE is in charge of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The convention’s three main objectives include conserving biodiversity, promoting sustainable use of natural resources, and equal sharing of biodiversity benefits, he said.

The realization of these goals requires local communities’ participation. Environmental protection needs to be sustainable, and it has to consider social and economic factors in planning, the official noted.

In terms of water resource management, as one of the most important ecosystems in preserving biodiversity, the situation is not favorable.

Almost a large part of the country’s wetlands have dried up. Many rivers have either dried up or become seasonal rivers, which has effectively caused these ecosystems to lose a large part of their biodiversity preservation functions.

Forest ecosystems are also in very unstable and unsuitable conditions. The forest ecosystems are degrading due to numerous reasons, such as fires and uncontrolled livestock grazing. This has caused pests and diseases to dominate the ecosystem. Soil erosion has increased with sand and dust storms becoming more prevalent.

MT/MG