In recent days, widespread wildfires have severely impacted various regions of Iran, including Karkheh National Park in Khuzestan Province and the forests and rangelands of Ab Kenar and Khan Ahmad Basht in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province. Drought and human activities have been identified as the primary causes of these devastating fires.
On Tuesday, June 4, ISNA News Agency published images of a significant wildfire in Karkheh National Park, which started on Monday, June 3, in the forest area of Khois village in Karkheh County. State media claimed that the fire had been contained. However, the dry conditions and human factors continue to pose a severe threat to this region, which is the main habitat for the Iranian deer and annually sees hundreds of hectares of land destroyed.
Simultaneously, IRNA News Agency reported that wildfires in the forests and rangelands of Basht, in the Ab Kenar and Khan Ahmad area, began on Sunday afternoon “for unknown reasons.” Despite the challenging conditions caused by dry grass and strong winds, the fires have been difficult to control.
The escalating frequency of intentional forest fires in Iran is leading to significant loss of vegetation and forest cover. Hossein Mirzaei, Acting Director-General of the Lorestan Natural Resources and Watershed Management Department, previously stated that converting forest and rangeland areas into agricultural lands is one of the main human-induced causes of these fires. Similarly, Hassan Ahmadi, a professor of natural resources at the University of Tehran, highlighted that while Iran and Turkey both had 18 million hectares of forest in 1953, Iran’s forest area has now shrunk to 12 million hectares, whereas Turkey has expanded its forests to 40 million hectares.
Destruction of Tens of Hectares of Forests and Grasslands Western #Iran in Maneuvers of the Revolutionary Guards. https://t.co/uuENGT0AyK pic.twitter.com/cGY3J51Nwc
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 12, 2017
Over the past 48 hours, four major wildfires have occurred in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, affecting regions such as Ab Narun, Duband, Darreh Khorvar, and Darreh Garde Sardok. Although fires in three of these areas have been extinguished eventually, the fire in Ab Narun continues to burn. Local natural resources experts emphasize the role of human negligence, such as failing to fully extinguish campfires or improperly disposing of glass bottles, which can concentrate sunlight and start fires.
The province, home to 880,000 hectares of forest and 550,000 hectares of rangeland, is experiencing a series of fires in the late spring. Natural resource experts call for preventive cultural and informational measures, especially with the upcoming agricultural harvest season, to mitigate fire risks.
Commander of the Natural Resources and Watershed Protection Unit of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Colonel Ebrahim Jani Nasab, reported that initial fires this spring have damaged 90 hectares of natural areas. Six significant fires have been contained this year, but dry conditions and wind have repeatedly reignited flames in various locations.
While state officials claim to have preemptive measures in place, systemic issues, including inadequate firefighting equipment like helicopters, underscore the regime’s negligence. The lack of sufficient resources and poor management highlight the regime’s failure to protect natural resources effectively.