Wind Erosion Crisis Hotspots Reach 14 Million Hectares

The Deputy Minister of Jihad said that although Iran has only 1.1% of the world's land area, it holds about 32 million hectares of the world's deserts, and the extent of wind erosion crisis hotspots in the country has reached 14 million hectares.

According to Mehr reporter, today, Tuesday, 21 Mehr 1405, the eighth national conference on soil protection and watershed management was held at the place of the Agricultural Research, Education and Promotion Organization.

In his speech at the 8th National Conference on Soil Protection and Watershed Management, Reza Aflatoni, the head of the country's natural resources and watershed management organization, emphasized the need to change the approach from "crisis-oriented measures" to "proactive management and structural policies".

Explaining the vital role of soil in the national security chain, the Deputy Minister of Jihad of Agriculture called for extensive participation of the private sector and local communities in the management of basic resources.

soil; Beyond an agricultural platform

At the beginning of his speech, Platoni explained the multidimensional nature of the soil and said: The soil is not just a platform for the production of agricultural products or an environment for the establishment of vegetation; Rather, it is the natural infrastructure of production, regulation of the water cycle, carbon storage, preservation of biodiversity and sustainability of ecosystem services.

He warned against the speed of soil degradation compared to the very slow process of its formation, and emphasized: Soil should not be seen as an unfinished resource whose destruction can be compensated by short-term measures.

Referring to the geographical position of Iran in the dry and semi-arid belt of the world, the head of the Natural Resources Organization spoke about the complexity of interactions caused by climate change.

He added: In our country, the simultaneous occurrence of frequent droughts, water and wind erosion, destruction of pastures and forests, and the expansion of dust centers have created a challenge beyond traditional management. Therefore, soil protection should be transformed from a limited specialized activity into one of the main policy axes in the field of water security, land restoration and sustainable development.

Criticizing the reactive approach in managing natural resources, he said: One of the main challenges is that our actions often begin after a crisis (such as a flood or widespread destruction); While climate change teaches us that management should be proactive and based on predicting the vulnerability of areas in the future.

Legal capacities and financing challenges

In the planning and budget department, Platoni pointed out the key role of the 7th Development Plan Law and said: In this plan, an area of 20 million hectares is planned for watershed and watershed measures, which requires 20 thousand billion Tomans (Hemat) of credit. However, this year we have faced the challenge of credit constraints; So that part of the approved credits for resource management is less than 20%.

Referring to the goal of reducing soil erosion by 50% in the functional area of the organization, he added: We are committed to reducing wind erosion by 10% in the country, which requires looking beyond government budgets.

The head of the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization considered the way out of the budget deadlock in the development of the value chain and people's participation.

He emphasized: Our approach is that people and local communities are present not only in the role of beneficiaries, but also as real partners in the design, implementation, maintenance and monitoring of projects. Through the development of the value chain of medicinal plants, the production of native plants and seeds, and the scientific management of pastures, we can protect resources, improve the livelihood of communities that are based in villages, and prevent their migration.

He pointed to the activation of legal capacities, including Article 3 of the Law on the Protection of Forests and Ranges and the use of corporate social responsibilities (CSR) to secure new financial resources and said: We are developing new financing methods for natural resource projects in order to use the legally neglected capacities and the participation of the private sector to protect basic resources.

The integrated management of watersheds is the key to deal with the desertification crisis

The head of the country's natural resources and watershed management organization, continuing his speech at the national soil protection conference, emphasized the need to focus executive measures on deprived and underutilized areas, especially in the upstream areas of canals and vulnerable villages.

He warned that not paying attention to the continuity of natural and human processes in these areas will challenge the effectiveness of development plans.

Platouni, presenting alarming statistics on the environmental condition of arid and semi-arid regions, emphasized: In areas where we are faced with water erosion intensity of 54%, fine dust centers of 70%, soil erosion of 86% and flood events of 53%, the destruction of the land and the instability of livelihood of local communities are strongly interdependent. Therefore, any one-dimensional action without considering environmental interactions will have limited results.

He added: In the comprehensive watershed management programs, about 1,600 villages have been identified as potential target communities in vulnerable areas. Also, in 1404, about 331 low-income villages have benefited from development credits, and for 1405, it is predicted that 3 thousand billion tomans (3 hemats) of credit will be allocated for the development of these measures in the upstream areas.

from Zagros to Hyrcania; Management based on knowledge and social participation

Referring to the successful experiences of projects such as "Carbon Sequestration", Deputy Minister of Agricultural Jihad emphasized the necessity of changing the role of local communities. He said: Experience has shown that people should not be just recipients of services or implementers of government orders; Rather, they should play a key role in identifying the problem, setting priorities, designing solutions and monitoring the results.

By distinguishing the needs of the regions, he added: "In Zagros forests, our focus is on the social management program document so that the protection of basic resources can be realized with the participation of the people." On the other hand, in the forests of the north (Hirakani), which are considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site, management should be based on the principles of biodiversity protection, the health of forest populations, and the control of human pressure and natural hazards. In this regard, the smart plan and management of water erosion and landslides in the north of Iran is an important step in protecting the soil of this area.

desertification; A cross-border challenge that requires international cooperation

In the continuation of the conference, Platoni addressed the huge challenge of desertification and considered it to be the result of the imbalance between "water, soil, air and vegetation" and announced: Iran has about 32 million hectares (4.2%) of the world's deserts despite having only 1.1% of the world's land. Currently, the level of wind erosion crisis centers in the country has reached 14 million hectares.

Referring to the obligations of the 7th plan, he added: We need to implement operations against desertification on 1.7 million hectares of land, which includes the construction of living and non-living windbreaks, dewatering management and forest restoration. Achieving this goal requires the provision of 3 thousand billion Tomans of credit.

The head of the Natural Resources Organization, in summing up his speech, emphasized that desertification is a cross-border challenge and to deal with it requires national and international cooperation.

He added: The International Center for Comprehensive Management of Watersheds in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions, which is under the supervision of the Natural Resources Organization, can play a role by linking national experiences to global knowledge. Through cooperation with international organizations such as UNESCO, the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Convention on Biological Diversity, we seek to strengthen national capacities in the direction of sustainable management of ecosystems.

We need a "water cycle management" law

The head of the country's natural resources and watershed management organization further criticized the discrete management in the field of water and soil and demanded the immediate approval of the comprehensive watershed management bill.

He emphasized: Unlike the current laws that only focus on water distribution and consumption, the country needs a law that manages the entire water cycle from production and extraction to consumption and recycling.

Referring to the structural challenges in the management of natural resources, Platoni warned about the need to move from fragmented approaches and said: One of the fundamental problems of the country is the existence of discrete territorial managements; So that executive bodies and even research institutions do not carry out their actions and research in the form of comprehensive watershed management. Whether the discussion is in the form of revitalization of the land or at the head of it, the main goal should be to make operational, comprehensive and detailed decisions in a single framework.

Analyzing the legislative situation in the field of water, the head of the Natural Resources Organization spoke of a strategic gap and stated: "In the field of water management, we are facing a fundamental legal flaw." All the existing laws, including the law on equitable distribution of water, are formulated solely on the basis of distribution and consumption. In these laws, even in the 50 main articles, there is no mention of production management, extraction or management of the entire water cycle.

Referring to the evolution of this issue, he added: We need a law that covers the management of the water cycle from production to distribution, consumption and recycling. This necessity is clearly seen in the Watershed Bill. Although in 1400, the draft of this bill was prepared and presented to the government with the participation of more than 300 university professors and prominent experts, but due to the opposition of some institutions, its approval process has been stopped.

In the end, Platoni called for the intervention of the parliament and said: Our request to the Islamic Council is to pursue its own plan in this field. Because the implementation of this bill will be the main solution to resolve the structural imbalances in the country's soil and water sector.

The head of the Natural Resources and Watershed Organization considered soil protection to be the main pillar of food security, water security and resilience against climate change.

Presenting a clear perspective, he said: the future of soil protection and land stability depends on integrated, forward-looking and collaborative management. Our success in this direction will be measured not only by the amount of executive operations, but also by the amount of health, sustainability of resources, restoration of ecosystems and improvement of people's quality of life.

In the end, the deputy minister of agricultural jihad asked the scientific community and the executive bodies to rely on documented data and past experiences to advance the path of development and improvement based on scientific evidence and with a comprehensive view of national security.