Iran is a Leading Country in Desertification Control



Head of FRWO said: "Iran is one of the progressive countries in the
field of desertification control, and has been working in this field for
about six decades now; the result of it is the creation of 2 million hectares
of planted forests in desert areas.

Head of FRWO said: "Iran is one of the progressive
countries in the field of desertification control, and has been working in
this field for about six decades now; the result of it is the creation of 2
million hectares of planted forests in desert areas."

According to FRWO's website quoted from Iranian
Agriculture News Agency (IANA), Masoud Mansour, Deputy Minister and Head of
the Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization (FRWO) said at the
World Day Combat Desertification (WDCD) 2020 ceremony, attended by Minister
of Agriculture Jahad, representatives of international organizations, civil
society groups, science and technology institutes and media that "Last
year, FRWO has implemented some 448 desertification control projects in 22 desert
provinces in 127,000 hectares, including planting, mulching, living and
non-living windbreaks, and wastewater management in 2020. "

Mansour noted that the allocated budget for these projects
in 2020 was over 7,500 billion RLs, which unfortunately have reduced to 2400
billion RLs this year. However, he expressed hope that with certain measures
that FRWO would take, an estimated121, 000 hectares of desertification
control operations would be carried out in 2021.

Mansour also referred to the establishment of the United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) three decades ago
aftermath of the Earth conference by the UN as an alarm to the international
community about excessive pressure on terrestrial ecosystems.

Head of FRWO denounced the unsustainable consumption and
mass production of wastes that has dangerous consequences for natural
resources."

Mansour highlighted the rapid growth of the world
population and the need for more water and food and said" About three
million people are being affected by desertification in the world, and 12
million hectares of land are at risk of destruction and degradation. "

Mansour said: "By 2050, the need for water and food
resources in the world will grow by 55% and 50%, respectively."

At the end of the ceremony, desertification control
veterans and experts were awarded by the Minister of Agriculture Jahad.

Based on the report, at the end of the WDCD 2020 ceremony,
Head of FRWO planted a sapling at FRWO's campus and expressed hope that
FRWO's efforts would prevent the expansion of deserts and lead to the revival
of deserts into better place to live.