Partnership of People Enhance IWM Effectiveness

Governor General of Alborz province said: “People in different parts of the province were satisfied with the IWM projects implemented last year, given the positive impacts of the projects on development of livelihood in remote areas. Therefore, there are many requests for increased allocations and expansion of projects in this sector this year.”

According to FRWO’s website, Azizollah Shahbazi, the Governor General of Alborz province in a meeting with Khalil Aghaee, Deputy Minister and Head of Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization (FRWO) said:” Environmentalists and activists in the field of natural resources who are devoting themselves restlessly to the cause of nature preservation, are doing a great and noble job.”

He added that proper management of rangelands and accurate implementation of IWM projects account for considerable reduction of the damages caused by seasonal floods and said: “Despite the fact that Alborz province ranked fourth in terms of precipitation in April, it did not confront with major damages due to proper flood control and and IWM projects implementation".

Governor General of Alborz referring to the agreement signed with FRWO said: FRWO has allocated 430 billion RLs from the National Development Fund complemented by 370 billion RLs of provincial co-financing for the implementation of IWM projects as well as forestry and desertification control plans in Alborz province that hopefully will increase accordingly.

In this meeting, Head of FRWO referring to the MoU signed with Alborz Governorate and allocation of funds for implementation of IWM projects, said: “In 2019, IWM projects will be carried out in 22 watersheds in Alborz province mainly mechanical operations including flood and erosion control.”

"There is no better and more effective mechanism than people's participation in performing the FRWO's mandate in natural resources management. Hence, people are the best partners in decision-making, implementation and monitoring phases” Aghaee added. 

He recalled the adoption of Para B of Article 29 of the National Development Plan and said it provided a solid foundation for enhanced actual participation of local people in natural resources projects in the country.