The necessity of linking integrated land management and active environmental diplomacy
The faculty member of the country's Fisheries Science Research Institute emphasized the necessity of a deep connection between knowledge production, integrated land management and active environmental diplomacy.
According to Ambassador Arjan's report, quoting from the Environmental Protection Organization, Fereydoun Aufi, a member of the faculty of the country's Fisheries Science Research Institute, emphasized the need for a deep connection between knowledge production, integrated land management and active environmental diplomacy.
Academic researches and studies of the country's specialized institutions are a very valuable capacity to strengthen the scientific foundations of national positions in international events such as COP17. The fundamental point in this field is to strengthen the connection chain between knowledge production, executive policy and the international negotiation table.
Compilation of documented, data-oriented and coherent policy reports and the active presence of experts and researchers alongside negotiating delegations will double the bargaining power and influence of the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in approving international documents.
Universities and research institutes should look at international summits beyond theoretical presentations and use these platforms to identify regional and international partners, design targeted and joint research projects, and attract international financial resources for joint actions.
Our country has a very good scientific support in terms of specialized capabilities in the fields of climate change, remote sensing, land preparation and biodiversity.
However, promoting alignment with global standards depends on strengthening long-term monitoring programs, validating ecological models, and structured access to reliable data.
The strategic step in this area is to standardize and integrate the processes of sampling, monitoring, analysis and systematic recording of data in the comprehensive information bank based on global standards such as the principles of the Technical Committee for Biodiversity Standardization (ISO/TC 331). This standardization allows the scientific community to match international methodologies with the ecological, ecoclimatological and ecogeographic components of the Iranian plateau. The monitoring of wetlands, forests, deserts and sensitive coastal and marine habitats of the country will have the highest efficiency when it is based on scientific and precise criteria and indicators in accordance with local requirements.
To achieve these goals, it is necessary to create an organized, regular and binding communication mechanism between the Environmental Protection Organization, universities and research institutions. The output of this connection should lead to the transformation of real problems in the field of regional management into practical study projects. Research results should not be stopped in the form of reports and articles, but should be directly converted into management guidelines, technological tools and operational programs for monitoring habitats after the implementation of the pilot and evaluation of effectiveness.
In the area of field protection, the introduction of the country's key projects in the field of reviving critical habitats, curbing desertification, preventing the shrinking and deterioration of wetland areas, and stabilizing endangered species restoration plans with a focus on native species are on the agenda; Valuable species such as Asiatic cheetah, Caspian jaw, sturgeon, Iranian yellow deer, mountain salamander, brown raven, Persian zebra and short-nosed swamp crocodile (Gando). All these plans should be developed in the form of detailed documents, with quantitative goals, specific metrics and a continuous evaluation system, in order to facilitate the advancement of bilateral and multilateral cooperation and the systematic use of international financing capacities in accordance with national interests.
Considering the existing limitations in attracting external facilities, diversifying the domestic financial platforms by strengthening the National Environment Fund, attracting the capacities of NGOs, effectively activating corporate social responsibility (CSR), exploiting the capacity of donors and long-lasting traditions such as vows and endowments for the environment, as well as directing private sector funds to protective measures are considered fundamental solutions. The condition for the realization and sustainability of these partnerships is the establishment of completely transparent mechanisms in the allocation of resources, detailed audits and the publication of periodical reports of field results.
The main focus of all these measures is the realization of integrated land management; A management that focuses on restoring native plant habitats, protecting water and soil resources, controlling erosion, curbing human conflicts, and reviving wildlife biological corridors. These basic measures should be structurally linked with national biodiversity programs, climate adaptation strategies and water stress management. In evaluating the restoration of plant and animal habitats, especially at the level of ecotopes and biotopes, it is inevitable to pay attention to global goals such as the neutralization of land degradation (LDN), and the evaluation of these areas should be based on precise quantitative indicators such as changes in vegetation cover, physical and chemical quality of the soil, the continuation of habitat restoration, and monitoring the population dynamics of indicator species.
In the end, taking advantage of the country's valuable experiences in involving local organizations, ranchers and traditional users in the sustainable management of the four regions, is proposed as a full-fledged indigenous model. Integrating ancient indigenous knowledge with modern ecological findings, linking the livelihood economy of marginal communities with the ecological services of the regions, especially the valuable functions of wetlands, and the direct participation of local people in the monitoring and decision-making process, is the most lasting guarantee of nature protection, and its coherent transfer at the COP17 meeting paves the way for the deepening of international technical cooperation.