Tehran - Iran will expand its rangeland management programs by 2 million hectares this year, bringing the total managed area to 47 million hectares, according to the director of flood control at Forests, Rangelands, and Watershed Management Organization.

 

Abolghasem Hosseinpour added that the country’s rangelands span 82.9 million hectares, including 5.2 million hectares of dense rangelands, 20.6 million hectares of semi-dense rangelands, and 57.1 million hectares of sparse rangelands. He emphasized a policy shift toward making rangeland projects economically viable through integrated planning that combines multiple uses.

 

“Beyond forage and livestock production, these initiatives now include cultivation of medicinal and industrial plants, ecotourism and nature-based tourism, beekeeping and honey production, and other activities compatible with local ecosystems.”

 

Management of these projects is being delegated directly to local ranchers to ensure sustainability and community engagement, he said.