DOE drafts legal framework for sustainable conservation of mountains

TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) in cooperation with related agencies has developed regulations for the conservation and sustainable use of mountains, an official with the DOE has said.

Mountain ecosystems are among the country’s most sensitive yet vital biomes, and their conservation and sustainable use require national resolve and cross-sectoral coordination. The effort represents a fundamental step toward achieving sustainable management of the mountains, IRNA quoted Hamid Zohrabi as saying.

Over the past year and a half, officials affiliated with the DOE, the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization, the Meteorological Organization, and NGOs held eleven expert meetings to review, revise, and finalize the draft, Zohrabi noted.

The regulation delineates and confirms the roles of executive agencies, while establishing distinct and operational obligations for each relevant body. More importantly, these obligations have been endorsed by the agencies themselves, paving the way for effective cooperation in the integrated management of mountains, the official added.

Strengthening preservation of natural habitats

To strengthen the preservation of natural habitats and protected areas, the DOE has taken different measures, such as inaugurating a national committee for the smart protection of the environment, revising protected areas management, combating drought impacts, and developing fire extinguishing infrastructure.

The national committee for smart protection of the environment consists of university professors and experts. It has so far held four sessions discussing plans for the smart protection of Golestan National Park, Tandooreh National Park, a protected area located northeast of Iran, the DOE monitoring center, and ecological drought, IRNA quoted Vahid Kheirabadi, an official with the DOE, as saying in May.

The inauguration of a knowledge-based ‘satellite fire observations system (known as Sahm System) in the past Iranian year 1404 (March 2025 – March 2026) was one of the main achievements of the department, the official added.

Satellite data provided by the system has enhanced fire detection and monitoring, and made it possible to prepare specialized reports for areas under management.

The DOE has recently launched the Bushehr fire station, and has kicked off the construction of two new fire stations in Bemo National Park and the Miankaleh peninsula, Kheirabadi further noted.

Moreover, the department has developed a national drought and ecological monitoring system, which is planned to be unveiled in the near future.

To combat drought, some 150 billion rials (about 78,000 dollars) have been allocated to sensitive ecosystems. The fund will be spent on repairing springs, canals, water troughs, and reservoirs, as well as purchasing modern equipment for storing water and transporting it to provinces affected by drought.

The official went on to say that over the past Iranian year, the DOE revised and prepared management plans in numerous areas, and the revised plans are being implemented in 30 key regions.

MT/MG