Garbage, the scourge of Iran’s national parks.

A national park is an area of natural resources, including forests, grasslands, natural meadows, plains, rivers, lakes, and mountains, that serves as a showcase for prominent examples of natural phenomena. Governments protect these areas to preserve the ecosystem, create a suitable environment for the reproduction and growth of wildlife and plants, and prevent destructive human interference. In Iran, 31 national parks are under the protection of the Environmental Protection Organization. According to Iranian hydrologist and member of the faculty at the University of California, Irvine, Amir Aghakouchak, who is also the recipient of the James B. Macelwane Medal (the highest honor of the American Geophysical Union for young researchers), these parks are facing threats such as overgrazing, unaware human activities, waste disposal by municipalities and people, groundwater depletion, soil erosion, and endangerment of their animal inhabitants.

International Union for Conservation of Nature

National parks are created by governments around the world and are often a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land owned by the government. However, the common goal of all governments is to protect “wild nature” for future generations and as a symbol of national pride. The purpose of creating national parks is to establish centers and protect the environment for future generations so that they too can benefit from our nature and environment. Any type of construction and urban development is prohibited in national parks and is limited only to public facilities such as restrooms, hotels, lodges, and camping areas in certain sections of them.

The United States of America was the first country and initiator of nature conservation policies and establishment of national parks. The national park system has been referred to by some historians as “America’s best idea”. The history of these parks in America dates back to 1872, when, according to a World Heritage Convention, the most widely accepted international treaty for conservation in human history, was formed and implemented worldwide. This treaty states that a portion of land and sea should be designated as a national park.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), also known by its abbreviation IUCN, is an international organization with the goal of protecting natural resources around the world. This includes collecting and analyzing data, conducting research, defining appropriate projects, providing support, lobbying, and education and training. The IUCN’s mission is to influence, encourage, and assist communities around the world in preserving nature and promoting fair and sustainable use of natural resources and the environment. The organization was established in 1948 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It works with 83 countries, 108 government agencies, 766 non-governmental organizations, 81 international organizations, and approximately 10,000 experts and scientists.

This organization also has observers and consultants in the United Nations and plays a role in implementing several international conventions on nature and biodiversity protection; it has also participated in the establishment of the Global Nature Fund and the Monitoring Center for World Conservation.

The first country to establish a national park.

The United States established its first public park or recreational land for the benefit and well-being of its people in 1872. This national park is named “Yellowstone” and, although it is not officially referred to as a national park in its founding law, it is recognized as the first and oldest national park in the world. There are sixty-two national parks in America, which are considered one of the largest tourist attractions in the world, with an annual visit of over three hundred million people. Some of these parks have been listed more than once due to their location in multiple states. National parks vary in size, with the largest one located in the western part of the country and in the state of Alaska. Nevertheless, the construction of national parks in the United States continues to this day.

Australia is leading the list of countries with the most national parks, with an incredible distance from the second place. It has placed 685 national parks within itself. This is compared to Thailand, which is in second place with 147 national parks, showing a significant difference. The third and fourth countries are India and Brazil, with 116 and 72 national parks respectively. After that, Israel with 63 national parks and Mexico with 67 national parks are in close competition. America ranks seventh in this classification, followed by Colombia with 60 national parks and Indonesia with 54 national parks in eighth and ninth places respectively. In tenth place is Russia, which has placed 48 national parks within itself.

Which countries have allocated the most area to national parks?

When we look at the area of land allocated to national parks, Australia, which was in first place for the highest number of national parks, falls to second place and a new winner emerges; Canada, which has allocated over 377,000 square kilometers of its country to forty-seven national parks.

Here is a complete list of the top ten countries with national parks, based on region:

As you can see in the table above, despite not being among the top ten countries in terms of number of parks, Zambia suddenly appears in this table due to its national parks’ area and ranks fourth. Russia is also ranked tenth in both number and area of its national parks.

National parks of Iran

Iran’s national parks are designated by the Iranian Environmental Protection Organization as one of the four environmental protection zones in Iran. Iran has 31 national parks located in 17 different provinces. These parks cover a total of 2,567,577 hectares of Iran’s total area. The first national park in Iran is “Golestan” national park and the largest national park in Iran is “Urmia” national park, covering 541,315 hectares.

The first environmental protection law for Iran and its natural areas was approved in 1335, under the name of the Iranian Hunting Council. According to this approval, the Iranian Hunting Council declared certain regions with special ecological importance as off-limits for hunting, unless a special permit was obtained from the council.

The proposal to establish national parks in the coming years was raised. In 1346, the possibility of allocating parts of the country to national parks, which were then called wildlife parks, and protected areas with specific definitions, was provided. In this year, the proposal to establish two national parks and fifteen protected areas was approved by the Supreme Council of Hunting and Game Monitoring as the first group of protected areas in Iran. By 1350, approximately six wildlife parks and thirty-five protected areas had been established.

Golestan National Park, besides being recognized as the first national park in Iran, holds a special place among all protected areas and national parks in terms of conservation history, biodiversity, and quality of protection. This park is on par with the most famous national parks in the world. Golestan National Park is a region of mountains, forests, and plains. It is the first garden to be designated as a national park in Iran. In 1957, it was placed under the protection of the Hunting Association under the name “Almeh Vaishki”. In 1961, its name was changed to “Almeh” protected area. In 1964, it became a wildlife park and in 1974, it was declared a national park and named after Mohammad Reza Shah. In February 1979, this garden with an area of 98,295 hectares was renamed Golestan National Park.

The Urmia Lake National Park is located in northwestern Iran. UNESCO has included this park in the list of ten international parks of the Earth; it is also one of the fifty international biosphere reserves. The International Council for Human and Urban Coordination has also introduced Lake Urmia as one of the rarest biosphere reserves or Iranian and global biospheres in the highlands of the Iranian Caucasus region.

The biosphere or the biosphere layer is a part of the Earth’s crust where life exists. This layer is the habitat of humans and other living creatures such as birds, fish, or insects, and extends to the lower layers of the Earth where the roots of trees and other organisms penetrate. Pre-Cambrian rocks, quartz, and volcanic sedimentary rocks have shaped this national park. According to some geologists, about thirty to forty thousand years ago, a fault in the north of Lake Urmia separated this region from the Caspian Sea and created the Lake Urmia region.

The Bamoo National Park, which is considered one of the first national parks in Iran, is located in the north of Shiraz in the Fars province. The Shiraz-Isfahan highway divides this park into two halves. This park has a semi-arid climate and is home to 125 species of animals, including one of the best habitats for leopards in Iran.

The biggest national park in the world.

The greatest national parks in the world cover millions of hectares and consist of high mountains, deep valleys, vast deserts, and immense natural glaciers. The largest of these parks is Wrangell-St. Elias in Alaska, which is the undisputed heavyweight champion of national parks in the world. This park covers 13.2 million hectares and is one of the most pristine places in North America, with vast untouched desert areas and an incredible abundance of wildlife. It is almost impossible to find a man-made structure in this park. More than a quarter of the park is covered by natural glaciers, and yet it is still an active volcanic center.

Yosemite National Park in California was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. This park is internationally renowned for its large granite rocks, waterfalls and clear rivers, giant sequoia trees, and ultimately its biodiversity. With a history of 150 years and over 200 species of plants and animals, this protected area is one of the most beloved destinations for American tourists.

Consequences of the disappearance of national parks

According to Amir Aghakoochak, an environmental researcher and member of the faculty at the University of California in Irvine, access for tourists to national parks is one of the key principles of these parks. However, more importantly, having a well-defined and precise plan for their conservation is crucial. These areas are among the most pristine in the world and the need to protect them is of utmost importance.

He says, “In some of Iran’s national parks, such as Piran Park, farmers and herders are allowed to use the vegetation of the area. This has resulted in the destruction of the park’s plant cover, leading to the disappearance of rare or endangered plant species and an increased risk of wildfires due to the drying of the land. Illegal hunting is one of the main reasons for the destruction of the environment in Iran’s national parks. Nowhere else in the world are environmentalists killed as much as in Iran, which shows the need for more precise planning. The government must clearly and completely explain what activities are allowed and what activities are illegal in national parks.”

According to Mr. Akhakochak, in order to understand the importance of national parks by people, cultural education is the first step and he says: “People who enter these parks should know that making fire for various reasons such as making kebabs and tea in any part of the park is not allowed and most of the time it leads to irreparable environmental damage and dangerous consequences such as fire. These parks are not like urban areas where you can light a fire anywhere. This is something that usually happens in Iranian national parks.”

He considers the next reason for the destruction of Iran’s national parks to be the accumulation of garbage. According to him, this garbage has two visible dimensions; one is the people who should know not to litter in the environment, and the other is the municipality. In some protected areas such as Anzali Lagoon, the presence of garbage is clearly visible, which shows that not only ordinary people are involved in this issue, but also the municipality is leaving garbage in the area.

Agha Kuchak believes that providing facilities by the government is another solution for protecting national parks and says, “In America, facilities are provided in limited areas of national parks so that people can use amenities such as restrooms. For example, specific areas in these parks are designated for building fires or camping, and even for disposing of coal waste, people are instructed where to throw it. In certain seasons, such as when the weather is very dry, lighting fires in these designated areas is also prohibited because it increases the risk of wildfires. The key here is that everyone, without exception, follows these laws and regulations because in this country, there has been good awareness and investment in this type of education, something that Iran has not done very well in.”

He explains about the consequences of these environmental destructions: “Each of these illegal activities in these parks has its own specific consequences. On the other hand, each of the national parks has its own unique natural features and plant and animal species. For example, grazing livestock in these parks can lead to the extinction of a specific plant or animal species, and wherever these unique species disappear, the balance in the environment is disrupted. When the vegetation cover in a certain area of a national park is destroyed, unexpected events will occur in that location. For instance, the disappearance of vegetation can turn that area into a desert and create a source of dust and soil that can reach even distant cities.”

Notes:

1- You will be amazed by understanding the size of the largest national parks, National Park Foundation.

2- Which country has the most national parks? African safari.