Any form of exploitation of Iranian forests has been banned for 10 years, says the head of the Department of the Environment.
ISNA reports that Masoumeh Ebtekar referred to the ban as a “10 years of breathing room for the forests”.
She added that industries that use wood and lumber need to resort to wood imports.
Many environmental activists have been demanding an end to the over-exploitation of the country’s forests. This month, protesters formed a human chain around Palang Dareh in Mazandaran and called for protection of the forest.
Reports indicate that Iranian forests are being destroyed at rates much higher than the world average, even though Iran’s actual forest area places it among the 56 lowest-ranked countries.
