The Area of Forests in Northern Iran Has 'Halved' Over Half a Century

The Iranian Department of the Environment states that the area of forests in the provinces of Golestan, Gilan, and Mazandaran has decreased from 3.6 million hectares to 1.9 million hectares over the past fifty years, with 800 hectares of that being destroyed. Mohammad Darvish, the Director General of Education and Public Participation at the Iranian Department of the Environment, presented 'worrying' statistics regarding the environmental situation in Iran during a conference in Kashan. According to Darvish, while many ecologists and botanists dream of having the Hyrcanian forests of Iran, these forests have turned into a 'dump' within the country. He referred to the habitat known as the 'Caspian-Hyrcanian mixed forests,' which covers an area of 55,000 square kilometers from Azerbaijan to Iran. The majority of the Hyrcanian forests are located in Iran and are estimated to be among the oldest and most significant forests on Earth, with millions of years of history. These forests are protected by both the Cultural Heritage Organization and the Department of the Environment. UNESCO states that the Hyrcanian forests are the most important and remarkable natural habitats, playing a valuable role in research and the preservation of natural resources. Nonetheless, the senior official from the Iranian Department of the Environment has reported that the area has reached nearly half its original size over the past fifty years, with 800 hectares also being destroyed. Darvish severely criticized the state of water resource usage, land subsidence in the capital, the decreasing number of animals, the drying out of many Zagros oaks, and other issues, stating that such a situation has no precedent in Iran's history. He also mentioned that Iran's Persian Gulf has become 'the most polluted water body on Earth.' According to this environmental official, the dignity of the Persian Gulf is not only in preserving its name (Persian) but also in ensuring its cleanliness. The Director General of Education and Public Participation at the Iranian Department of the Environment stated, 'We are the last generation that can save Iran from this critical situation.' Iran's environment has increasingly suffered in recent years due to various reasons, including drought, fires, hunting, land grabbing, construction, inappropriate agricultural methods and water management, littering, deforestation, and other factors. A group of officials and non-governmental organizations have repeatedly expressed concerns about the environmental situation in Iran over the years.