Establishment of Development Fund Boost Active Participation in Natural Resources

Acting Head of FRWO hailed the establishment of the Natural Resources Development Fund (NRDF) to render support to the sector and said: "The establishment of the fund can not only enhance participatory mechanisms but also reduce damages to natural resources and the environment."

According to FRWO's website, Acting Head of FRWO met with Mr. Razavi Ardekani, Managing Director of the Agriculture Development Fund at FRWO Headquarters on Tuesday and said that the establishment of the Natural Resources Development Fund can give support to natural resources projects.

Dr. Mansour added: "The natural resource projects can be implemented by the support of Natural Resources Development Fund through participatory mechanisms."

He reminded: "According to natural resources experts, the poverty of rural communities is one of the most important harmful factors in the management of natural resources. Therefore, improvement of the livelihood of local communities through NRDF can diminish the negative impacts of poverty on ecosystem and resources.

Dr. Mansour added: "Natural resources can provide many types of economic benefits to local communities such as production of medicinal herbs, wood farming, forest and rangeland non-wood products, and ecotourism to mention a few, therefore it is our duty to present these capabilities to stakeholders.‎

He emphasized: "We should have a plan for action in the field of natural resources and that should be carried out by rural communities."

In another part of the meeting, Dr. Mansour called for a renewed effort to save the existing 10 NRDFs in the provinces and said: "FRWO is planning to expand NRDF offices to 14 provinces in total this year."‏

In this meeting, Mr. Razavi-Ardakani, Managing Director of the Agriculture Development Fund thanked FRWO for its due attention to the issue of development funds and said natural resources is the most appropriate place for operation of development funds.

Razavi-Ardakani reiterated that the fund is not a goal in itself but is a tool to achieve goals. He noted that since its inception it has developed in many ways and has got a lot of legal capacity like banks and can serve as an operational arm to protect the country's natural resources.