Riyadh – The Iranian Minister of Agriculture emphasized the importance of combating land degradation and desertification.
 
Speaking at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP16 underway in Riyadh, Gholamreza Nouri highlighted that Iran, a country vulnerable to these challenges, is committed to implementing the UNCCD.  
 
“Today, the need for effective actions to combat desertification and drought and mitigate the impacts of climate change is felt more than ever. The Islamic Republic of Iran would like to reaffirm its continued commitment to the implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification as a country prone to desertification, drought, and many other problems addressed by this convention. The Islamic Republic of Iran has spared no efforts to protect its natural resources. So far, about 9 million hectares of Iran's desert areas have been subjected to restoration projects by creating 1.5 million hectares of hand-planted forest in desert areas,” he said.  
 
Saying that Iran has also implemented measures to control wind erosion and manage water resources, the minister said, “We have controlled the critical centers of wind, resume water shape management operations have been implemented in 32 million hectares”.  
 
“We have also banned the commercial and industrial exploitation of the Hercynian Forest of the Caspian area with the participation of the local communities,” he added.  
 
Expressing Iran’s support for Saudi Arabia’s Green Middle East Initiative, Minister Nouri highlighted the detrimental impact of terrorism, war, and conflict on natural resources and emphasized the role of peace in ensuring sustainable development and humanity’s future.