The Department of Environment is implementing a targeted framework to protect threatened wildlife species and vulnerable ecosystems. Department official Peyman Valizadeh said conservation teams rely on data-driven research to guide strategic priorities. Officials have prepared conservation plans for 25 endangered species while developing 13 additional preservation programs. These action plans identify critical threats, protection priorities, necessary interventions, and key performance indicators for each habitat.
Administrative teams face operational challenges due to limited financial resources and specialized field capacity across the provinces. To address personnel shortages, the department is prioritizing technical training programs for headquarters and provincial staff. Meanwhile, the department has established a dedicated national committee that has held three expert meetings to combat wildlife trafficking. Committee members are now finalizing a comprehensive national program to prevent illegal trafficking across the country’s borders.
To reduce human-wildlife conflicts, environmental authorities have shifted their focus toward proactively identifying high-risk conflict hotspots. Analysts are currently collecting detailed field data on black bear populations in Hormozgan and Kerman provinces. Additionally, the department has established formal partnerships with national environmental funds and agricultural insurance institutions. These financial agreements aim to compensate rural communities for losses caused by protected wildlife species.
Research teams have also partnered with Shiraz University to create detailed distribution maps showing key wildlife movement corridors. These mapping tools help environmental managers effectively track migratory routes used by various herbivore and carnivore species. Iran ranks among the world’s most biologically diverse countries, with nine distinct global ecosystem categories. Recent ecological surveys confirm that 148 vertebrate species in the country currently face a direct risk of extinction.