The head of the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization of Iran announced that nearly 35 million seedlings have been planted in the field of natural resources as part of the implementation of the One Billion Tree Planting Scheme Project.

“Seedling planting will continue in cold regions and provinces until mid-May next year,” Abbas-Ali Nobakht told reporters on Tuesday.

He added that of the 237 million seedlings produced by the public and private sectors this year, about 160 million seedlings will be planted and the rest will remain in nurseries for one to three years before being transferred to planting sites.

“The private sector has produced about 121 million seedlings out of the 237 million seedlings,” he said.

The Armed Forces have planted 21 million seedlings so far, Nobakht also said.

Forests and afforestation can increase humidity by up to 20% and reduce temperature by about 3 degrees Celsius, he noted.

 The One Billion Tree Planting Scheme is a national initiative to plant one billion trees in Iran by 2025. The scheme aims to combat climate change, improve air quality, and create jobs. It has been supported by various organizations, including the government, the private sector, and NGOs.