Addressing Local Communities' Livelihood Challenges Should Be the Focus of New Forestry Programs

Noshahr – The Director General of the Forestry and Utilization Office, stressing the need to link forestry programs with the needs of residents of forested areas, said that addressing the livelihood challenges of local communities should be the focus of new forestry programs.

Nowshahr- Director General of Forestry and Exploitation Affairs Office, emphasizing the necessity of connecting forestry programs with the needs of the residents of forest areas, said: solving the livelihood challenges of local communities should be the focus of modern forestry programs.

According to Mehr reporter, Mohammad Ali Fakhari, on Tuesday morning, in the training workshop "How to plan socio-economic studies and education and promotion of 21 watersheds with the aim of explaining and justifying the expected results", referring to the importance of economic and social aspects in the implementation of forestry projects, stated: One of the important challenges in this field is the livelihood issues of local communities and people who are directly or indirectly related to watersheds; An issue that increases the need to know the exact conditions of the region and create a common understanding between executive agents.

Emphasizing the necessity of holding specialized meetings and thinking together to examine the issues of forest areas, he added: Before implementing the plans, the needs, problems and capacities of the local communities should be evaluated expertly so that the compiled programs are based on the existing realities and the possibility of their practical implementation is provided.

The Director General of the Forestry and Exploitation Affairs Office stated: Forestry projects can achieve the expected goals when economic and social dimensions are also taken into consideration in addition to technical and protection considerations. The conducted studies should lead to specific solutions to reduce problems and improve the conditions of local communities, and it is not enough to simply examine the issues without providing an implementation plan.

Referring to the difference in the conditions of different regions, Fakhari pointed out: the living conditions of the people, the structure of the villages, the social characteristics of the local communities, and the natural and forest conditions in the watersheds are different; Therefore, the same planning for all regions cannot meet the existing needs.

He continued: Formulating programs that are appropriate to the characteristics of each watershed, using local capacities and strengthening people's participation in the process of project implementation are among the requirements for achieving effective and sustainable results in natural resource management.

This training workshop was held with the aim of promoting coordination between executive departments and consultants, explaining the methods of planning social and economic studies and explaining the expected results in 21 watersheds.