One step away from collapse.

National parks in Iran are one of the four protected areas that have accommodated various animal species and plant cover. These parks are rich natural resources, from wood to endangered animal species and soil rich in nutrients, and they establish a balance in the natural and environmental conditions in many geographical regions of Iran. The use of resources in these parks and human interference in their natural cycle, from hunting and poaching to illegal extraction of mineral resources, are prohibited and these areas are under the protection of the Environmental Protection Organization. However, for over thirty years, illegal activities have been carried out in these parks through the issuance of unauthorized licenses, putting many of these areas at risk of destruction. Therefore, we spoke with Mohammad Darvish, a desert specialist, researcher, and environmental activist, about the current situation of national parks in Iran.

Mohammad Darvish also has a managerial background in the Environmental Protection Organization, which is recorded in his resume. Mr. Darvish was the Director General of Public Participation in the Eleventh Government’s Environmental Protection Organization. He resigned from this position before the end of his term.

The boundaries of thirty national parks have been registered in Iran. Considering the decrease in water resources and soil erosion in these areas, how do you evaluate the overall situation of national parks? Are the national parks of Iran in danger of destruction?

So far, no comprehensive study or research has been conducted by relevant universities in our country, such as the University of Natural Resources or research institutions like the Forests and Rangelands Research Institute, to evaluate national parks. The Environmental Protection Organization and the Department of Natural Resources have also not provided any analytical report on the status of national parks, protected areas, or hunting prohibited areas, and any estimates made are based on the field presence of experts and their assumptions, which may not reflect the reality.

As someone who has closely observed many national parks, I must say that their current situation is deteriorating and not towards a desirable state. Visiting these national parks and protected areas shows an increasing percentage of land degradation. Microtrash has been observed in these protected areas; also, the wildlife in these areas is severely affected by the lack of vegetation, indicating a lack of balance between the ecological status and the wildlife. Furthermore, flagship species are also drastically decreasing in these areas, and this is one of the reasons for the emergence of diseases such as plague among predators.

On the other hand, there is the presence of livestock in protected areas and national parks. In these areas, we see the presence of individuals who have no responsibility and should not be there, or businesses that have no connection to protected areas and parks. The unprecedented presence of tourists in protected areas and national parks is another problem. The extensive recreational zone and the concentrated recreational zone, which have been identified in comprehensive studies of most of these national parks and protected areas, are not practically used and even comprehensive studies of some of these protected areas have not been conducted yet. For example, in the “Sarigol” region in North Khorasan province, we see that edible species are being destroyed and invasive groups are increasing. It is clear in this area that the ecological capacity is not sufficient and we are keeping them in an aquarium-like manner. It may seem desirable to preserve wildlife species in national parks in the short term, but it is not effective during droughts or severe frosts like the

The natural behavior of wildlife has been taken away and they are kept in a completely artificial manner; in fact, a kind of confinement has been created. In addition, the preservation of the ecological capacity of these areas, such as preserving water and soil resources, has been neglected. Throwing hand-fed food or creating artificial drinking water does not create a natural area or habitat. We should not allow the groundwater level to decrease or the surface of the soil to increase in these areas; we should also not allow hunting or illegal grazing in the area or the trafficking of wood, so that the ecological capacity can be restored to these areas. Unfortunately, all of these violations exist and in some areas we even see military exercises and unauthorized road construction. All of these have caused national parks to become paper parks; meaning that only on paper do national parks or protected areas exist, and in reality, their true meaning has been lost.

Considering the extraction of oil, gas, and minerals in desert and desert areas, how is pollution and soil erosion in desert national parks? Does the Environmental Organization or experts have the ability to deal with these economic projects?

The duty of the Environmental Protection Organization goes beyond the 14-15% protected areas. This organization is supposed to confront any activities by individuals or legal entities that lead to irreversible damage to the environment, but this does not happen. For example, every day, dozens of trucks carrying stones leave the protected area of “Karkas” in Isfahan province, and there are many mining activities taking place there. Similarly, in the foothills of “Shahankouh” in western Isfahan or in the “Kouhshahbafte” area in Kerman and the source of the Helilrood river, there are these mining activities, and practically, the Environmental Protection Organization is powerless and unable to protect the environment from natural boundary invaders such as mining activities, grazing, turning wood into coal, or building roads and power lines, oil and gas pipelines, and recently, even water transfer projects like the Caspian Sea to Semnan or the Persian Gulf

This means that the environmental protection organization is essentially a formalized organization and does not do anything?

Exactly! It means that if he wants to do something, his boss will easily overthrow him. They asked his boss to be present at the level of a meter and not to hinder the activities of the government and the state, and they approve these plans under the pretext of sanctions and this “sensitive current period”; for example, many dams were built that none of them were defensible, but there were three exceptions; one was the opposition of the Environmental Protection Organization to the plan of transferring water from the Caspian Sea to Semnan in the first government of Hassan Rouhani, which ultimately led to the dismissal of Masoumeh Ebtekar; Similarly, Ali Salajegheh, the current head of the organization, opposed the construction of the Miankaleh petrochemical plant and prevented the dam from being built; of course, just last week, the president strongly confronted Ali Salajegheh over these issues, and many are disappointed that he can resist

Has the Environmental Protection Organization achieved any success or resistance against these three exceptions?

Good. The transfer of water from the Caspian Sea to Semnan is included in the 1402 budget bill in the parliament’s budget line. In addition, the government has allocated budget for four hundred other projects that do not have environmental permits, and the Environmental Protection Organization is completely silent about these projects and has remained silent in the face of this blatant violation.

I have no hope for the sword not being thirsty. Just yesterday, the governor of Mazandaran attacked the head of the Environmental Organization, asking why he didn’t allow investment in the middle of the market. How can a governor so recklessly attack the vice president in public tribunes and not even flinch? Therefore, we are waiting for the waters to fall from the mill so that the petrochemical market can also be launched.

What is your evaluation of the soil conditions in national parks, especially in fertile areas that have a high number of microscopic species and are used for agriculture?

We are facing serious soil erosion processes. Every year, two billion tons of soil is lost in Iran, with each ton of soil worth twenty-eight dollars; meaning that around fifty-six thousand dollars worth of soil is lost. According to statistics from the Deputy of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, soil fertility is decreasing and fertilizer consumption is increasing. This issue has led to soil compaction and a decrease in water infiltration, as well as an increase in the use of pesticides; therefore, the quality of agricultural products is constantly decreasing. Occasionally, when these products are exported to neighboring countries such as Turkey or countries around the Persian Gulf, they are rejected because they do not meet the necessary standards in terms of fertilizer and pesticide use. These issues show that our soil is in a worrying state of collapse.

Of course, the issue of soil degradation is a global epidemic and FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization, has warned that this pressure on agricultural lands worldwide may lead to a loss of soil fertility for the next thirty years. This is a serious warning that calls for a change in lifestyle, but in Iran, which is also located in the world’s dry belt, there is more tangible evidence of soil degradation.

Is there the ability to revive and restore national parks and destroyed protected areas? Can we have a hopeful outlook towards the fate and future of these parks?

“If we continue with the same approach that we are currently taking, there is absolutely no room for hope. We must redefine the economy of this country so that it is not water-centric, reduce the dependence of livelihood on water and soil resources, and utilize the potential advantages of this land for actual production and employment, in order to take steps towards environmental conservation. I do not see such an approach in the current government structure of Iran. They have not even fulfilled their own commitments in their five-year plans, such as producing five thousand megawatts of electricity through renewable energy sources in the past fifteen years; otherwise, we would not be struggling with burning mazut in the crisis of thermal power plants to supply gas.”

When they themselves do not abide by their own laws and commitments, when Article 51 of the Fourth Five-Year Development Plan, which mandates the valuation of natural resources for the government, has not been implemented for fifteen years and remains on paper, and even the office that was supposed to carry out these provisions in the Environmental Protection Organization has been dissolved and no one is speaking up, when the rate of land subsidence in Iran reaches a critical level of one hundred and forty times, we must be very idealistic and imaginative to speak hopefully about the future of nature in Iran.

It seems that the burning of diesel is not going to stop and air pollution is increasing in major cities. How long do you think this trend will continue and how can it be stopped?

According to the law, using illegal diesel is prohibited, but in Tehran, the increase of sulfur compounds in the air is undeniable and has been confirmed by the air quality control company. Similarly, in Isfahan, Arak, Yazd, Ardakan, and Saveh, the amount of diesel has noticeably increased, and in the Neka power plant, parts of Khorasan and Neyshabur, the same thing has happened. The government has openly announced that it is facing a shortage of gas, and people are forced to either endure power outages and cold weather or use diesel. In summers, they use the excuse of power outages, and in winters, they use the excuse of cold weather to burn diesel. We are still witnessing diesel burning, and these sulfur compounds can have irreparable effects on human and other living beings.

Thank you for the opportunity you have provided us with to engage in peace talks.