Rehabilitation of 10,000 aqueducts with watershed management
activities in Iran 

According to the information centre of the Ministry of
Jihad-Agriculture, Massoud Mansour, during the inauguration ceremony of 975
natural resources and watershed management projects of the country, stated
that: Today, among the natural hazards in our country that occur in the sectors
of water, soil and vegetation, which show their long-term effects.

He then added: Today, we are witnessing the results of some
natural crises in the form of dust, floods, soil erosion, drying of aqueducts
and depletion of groundwater aquifers in the country.

The head of the country's Natural Resources and Watershed
Management Organization also stated that: 27 million hectares of the country
are located in the flood zone, which includes 450 cities and 8,260 villages.

He also added that: In recent years, more than 10,000
aqueducts have been rehabilitated with watershed management activities, and
their discharge has increased from one and a half to three times.

Moreover, he mentioned that: The Watershed Management Donors
Association has been formed in the country, and therefore this year, with this
goal, 100,000 hectares of watershed management projects have been carried out
in the country with the participation of the executive bodies and the people.

 Also, he added that: 140
desertification projects, 150 rangeland projects, 54 forest projects and 40
wood cultivation projects were inaugurated today in the same format.

In another part of his speech, he referred to the wood,
paper and cellulose industries and stated that: Currently, the nominal capacity
of wood, paper and cellulose industries in the country is 13 million cubic
meters, but due to some reasons and problems, about 6 to seven million cubic
meters are being exploited.

He then added: However, since last year, we have developed
about 60,000 hectares of wood cultivation in the country; in fact, each hectare
of wood production produces about 300 tons of wood, which is one of our
programs in self-sufficiency in paper production in our country.

Source of the news: Public Relations Center of the
Ministry of Jihad Agriculture

Translator: Ms. Fatemeh Khalil Khalili