Conservation is one of the core responsibilities of the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization and is essential for protecting Iran’s forests, rangelands, deserts, watersheds, plant genetic resources and natural landscapes. The Organization’s conservation approach combines legal protection, field operations, ecosystem restoration, fire management, plant health monitoring, public awareness and the use of modern technologies.
A major part of conservation activities focuses on preventing and managing fires in national natural resource areas. The Organization implements measures such as establishing firebreaks, organizing training courses at national and provincial levels, preparing and distributing fire management equipment, coordinating with relevant agencies, holding fire drills, completing and maintaining fire management bases, and preparing technical guidelines for provinces.
The Organization also gives special attention to the restoration and protection of burned areas. After fire events, burned sites are assessed, protected and enclosed, and given a recovery period. Future-oriented measures include the use of new technologies and artificial intelligence for detecting, monitoring and managing fires, the use of modern fire management equipment, operationalizing a comprehensive fire management plan, and restoring burned areas with native mixed species.
Plant health protection is another key component of conservation. The Organization identifies major pests and diseases in natural resource areas, monitors forests and rangelands, identifies infected and critical hotspots, applies environmentally compatible control methods such as biological and mechanical control, evaluates the effectiveness of control measures, documents data and information, and supervises the health of seedlings produced in nurseries.
Looking ahead, the Organization pursues the use of remote sensing systems and drones for identifying pest and disease hotspots, the development of biological control methods such as the use of natural enemies, the establishment of an integrated plant protection system, and the identification and registration of emerging and quarantine pests and diseases in natural resource areas. It also studies the impact of climate conditions on the spread of plant pests and diseases.
Conservation also includes protecting forest genetic reserves, rare and endangered species, forest reserves and degraded forest ecosystems. The Organization works on the enclosure and maintenance of forest reserves, rehabilitation and enrichment of degraded northern forests, production of standard forest seedlings, selection of seed sources, and protection of valuable species such as Hyrcanian boxwood, cypress, Caspian poplar, juniper, English yew and hazelnut.
Through preventive action, field monitoring, restoration of damaged areas, plant health management, fire control, public training, cooperation with knowledge-based companies and the use of modern technologies, the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization seeks to protect Iran’s natural resources and preserve their ecological, genetic and environmental values for present and future generations.
