Public participation Pre-requisite for IWM Implementation Next Year

Deputy Minister and Head of Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization (FRWO) said that the IWM implementation will be dependent to maximum public participation in watersheds next year since IWM binds all natural resources activities in watershed basins in a holistic manner.

According to FRWO’s website, Khalil Aghaei in the IRIB program “Good Morning Iran”, in response to the question that how is the natural resources status nowadays, said that harsh climate has a big role in exacerbating the conditions for natural resources management in the country, however, both natural and anthropogenic factors are accountable for this situation. Khalil Aghaei added that nature and man have a reciprocal impact on ecosystem. Hazards such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, wildfires are exacerbated as the result of climate change while in the same way, the unsustainable practices exacerbates natural ecosystems productivity and vitality. 

The official elaborated about the negative impact of human activities in nature and said that base on statistics more than 95 percent of wildfires are due to human activities. People go to nature for picnic and set fire for cooking but do not put it off.

He also referred to lack of vigilance of officials in dealing with nature and said that lack of deep understanding of development in the country, would harm nature. Some officials think that development plans such as road construction in the nature for easier transportation, and forest conversion to agriculture for food security, etc. are in harmony with the nature. However, long-term benefits precede the short-term benefits when dealing with natural ecosystems.

The head of FRWO said that rangelands cover 85 million hectares are land area of natural expanses. Inappropriate management and overgrazing in these areas have depleted resources in the pastures. He added that more than 20 million hectares of rangelands have been transferred to the local people in the form of participatory conservation programs. This should be upscaled  to all 85 million hectares of rangelands in the country.

It is worth mentioning that Aghaei who participated the tree planting ceremony  in Natural Resources Week planted a seedling in the IRIB campus.