TEHRAN – In an effort to strengthen the participation of local communities in conserving nature, the Department of Environment (DOE) has approved seven natural areas to be protected by the public.

The initiative showcases national determination to conserve the country’s environment, and also opens a new prospect for people’s contribution, and the development of participatory governance in protecting the country’s biodiversity, IRIB quoted Shina Ansari, the head of the DOE, as saying.

In the near future, conservation in Iran will be based on participation, science, and accountability.

Biodiversity at all three levels, including genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity, enhances ecosystem resilience.

Biodiversity ensures food security, livelihood, and human health; it enhances ecosystem stability to adapt to bio-based challenges and climate change. Loss of biodiversity, at any level, will bring about a chain of irreparable consequences. Therefore, protecting biodiversity is not a choice, but a strategic necessity, Ansari noted.

A decade of community-based conservation practices has proved that the participation of local and responsible investors will lead to the restoration of wildlife populations and habitats, and that involving communities in conservation programs will also reduce human-wildlife conflict and lower violations.

Moreover, the link between employment and conservation creates a sustainable cycle, as community-conserved areas act as an economic driver.

Developing sustainable employment for local communities, generating income from legal and eco-friendly efforts, including responsible nature tourism, providing conservation services, and directly returning benefits to the conservation process will enable people to become the prominent and most effective conservationists.

In these seven community conserved areas, the land ownership will be maintained, and the government will actively oversee the measures.

Strategic goals for long-term biodiversity preservation

The DOE has revised a comprehensive plan, setting its strategic goals for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by the Iranian calendar year 1430 (March 2051-March 2052).

In May, President Masoud Pezeshkian issued an order, obligating the DOE to prepare a comprehensive plan for the preservation of biodiversity in the country, covering different environmental sectors.

In this line, several meetings have been convened with the participation of faculty members, environmental experts, and managers, as well as NGOs, IRNA reported.

During the meetings, the participants agreed on five main goals: promoting the integrity and resilience of biodiversity, conserving biodiversity for sustainable use, equitably sharing the benefits derived from genetic resources, raising public awareness, enhancing specialized knowledge, and modern technologies for effective biodiversity management, strengthening financial resources and national mechanisms for the implementation of the comprehensive strategic plan for biodiversity.

Finally, the national biodiversity conservation program will be revised based on the national biodiversity strategies and action plan (NBSAP3) by relevant executive agencies, academic experts, and non-governmental organizations, to be approved by the DOE.

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.

MT/MG