Role of Political Power in Forest Administration Policy of Iran
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Caspian J. Environ. Sci. 2017, Vol. 15 No. 2 pp. 181~199 ©Copyright by University of Guilan, Printed in I.R. Iran [Review] Role of political power in forest administration policy of Iran B. Sotoudeh Foumani*, T. Rostami Shahraji, S. Mohammadi Limaei Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara, Iran * Corresponding author’s E-mail: [email protected] (Received: Oct. 22. 2016 Accepted: April. 10. 2017) ABSTRACT The area of natural forest in Iran is approximately 12.4 million hectares, comprising 7.5% of the total area of Iran. Forest management in the country was changed to the legislature after order of the Forest Nationalization Law in 1963. With civilization development, pressure on forests was significantly increased. In the early 20th century a system of development planning began as a series of seven-year cycles, focusing on accelerating economic growth by improving capital-intensive industries and replacing religious and social traditions with rapid modernization. There are some essential challenges ahead of the common assets administration of the Hyrcanian forests which have many conflicts between including executive associations and regulations. So that, forest policy has been structurally shifted in policy sector, from private administration to governmental management. This paper has provided a literature review discussing the forest policy administration in Iran and its essential structural shifts during the last century as well as data collection from relevant governmental and private organizations. Keywords: Iranian forests, Forest policy, Political power, Climate change adaptation. INTRODUCTION of their generally noticeable utilizations is for In global scale, forest management has been timber extraction (World Bank 2012). In the 20th structurally shifted in policy sector from century, an organized modern forest sustainable management in the seventies management system was established for the through livelihoods forestry in the nineties and first time with relevant laws and regulations in to carbon forestry in recent years Iran. It began with establishment of the Bureau (Shivaramakrishnan, 2000; Yufanyi Movuh & of Roads and Railroads and Forests, which later Krott, 2011; Krott et al. 2013). In the meantime, was renamed to the Bureau of Roads and Mines forests of Iran have experienced a variety of and Forests in 1916. Iranian government intrusions. In May 1908, oil discovery in this decided to survey and map the Hyrcanian country was the most remarkable economic forests, So, the Ministry of Public Benefits, outcome, impacting urbanization and Trade and Agriculture was established in 1917 deforestation rate (Aflaki, 2007). Although oil by amalgamating several offices including the has provided a protecting buffer for forests, it Bureau of Roads and Mines and Forests (FRWO has also caused urbanization and initiated 1988). An office in the north of Iran was enacted some unwanted development plans which and foreign commissioners were trained to destroyed forests (Amirarsalani & Dragovich, assess forests, to evaluate organizing national 2011). The positive consequences of oil and private forest lands, as well as to identify exploration included a noticeable boost on both unspoiled and degraded forests (FRWO economic growth, health and education 1991). In 2002, the Northern office eventually (Nassirpour 1985). Hyrcanian forests comprise turned into the current Forest, Rangeland and the main sources of commercial timber, so one Watershed Organization (FRWO). The first 182 Role of political power in… administration for forest policy - making was endorsed forest management plans (FMPs). initiated in the early 1910s (Yachkaschi, et al. The State most huge commitment to forests has 2009). After that, a few number of been in averting further woods corruption environmental laws and natural resources coming about because of such exercises as: (a) regulations were determined in the late 1920s far reaching change of timberland area to other (Ayati, 2003). The first law for forest was area employments, (b) deforestation or forest enacted in 1943 followed by the Ghanoun-e- debasement including loss of biodiversity and Hefazat va Bahrebardari az Jangalha in 1959 (c) illegal logging. FRWO has implemented (FRWO 1996). In fact, formalizing forest activities to prevent illegal logging in Caspian management of Iran was a remarkable step for forests, and (directly or indirectly) prepared conserving remnant forests of this country. FMPs for Northern Iran. The plans are then Unfortunately, the country was not able to implemented either by FRWO or by apply up-to-date executive changes in laws and cooperatives or private entities (concessions) regulation. Thus, this situation is similar to (Hess & Buys 2007). many developing countries; e.g. India, UAE, There are numbers of driving factors in and Iran (Shamekhi, 2011). During the eight- increasing misappropriation of Forest Lands year war between Iran and Iraq (1980 to 1988), and Resources (FLRs). no significant changes were made to forest Population growth resource policies (Yachkaschi et al. 2009). In From census operated in 1922, the population 1988, the Iranian Parliament passed an of Iran was reported to be approximately 7 enactment by which “a seven-member board million. This number reached to 19 million in would be in charge for investigating the 1957 (SCI, 1994), meanwhile at the moment it is objections of farmers holding informal deeds, estimated over 70 million (SCI 2014). government institutions, and the owners of Concerning to population pressures is orchards and other installations located in ubiquitous in literature on deforestation, soil forested lands outside the formal urban degradation, loss of biodiversity, threats to boundaries”. Following the Law in 1992 on the future peace and stability, food scarcities, Preservation of Iranian Natural Resources and global warming and underdevelopment. Many Forests, Department of Environment (DOE) scholars focus on overpopulation when they was legally empowered to hold portions of analyze resource use (FAO 2007). State-owned forest resources as environmentally protected areas where no Development and technology enhancement timber harvest is permitted. In 2004, to involve As an important milestone, in Amir-Kabir era, local people in the prevention of further the formation of Darol-fonoun was notable. It desertification in arid and semi-arid regions, was the first technical school of its kind, the government stated that “the ecologically initiated great social and economic changes ready arid areas for plantation will be throughout Iran (Smith, 2000). Generally, the conditionally leased to the people who modern industrial civilization has created a provided a feasible afforestation plan”. form of life style, which through consumerism Most forest territories of Iran are currently and conspicuous consumption, made the State-possessed, aside from a couple manors on plundering of forest and nature a lucrative private area (Yachkaschi, et al. 2009).The State enterprise for the industrial capitalism (Ahmed part in forest administration has been 2002). characterized as "adjusting the utilization of woods assets for the whole country as potential Traditional animal husbandry using stakeholders". State possession has served to understory vegetation control timberland use in the Caspian forests, According to FRWO reports, 5.7 million where timber could be concentrated as per livestock units are now settled in or close to the Sotoudeh Foumani et al. 183 Caspian forests. Of these, FRWO has plans to In spite of the fact that land-use transformation relocate up to 4.3 million units, while 600 000 of forests area ought to be entirely constrained, units have already been relocated. Relocation of or even precluded, the customary (and still residents and livestock has faced many casual) privileges of backwoods occupants challenges, including the unsuitability of the ought to likewise be all the more completely new residential environments assigned to considered. Most land-use changes (especially former forest dwellers, and that the villagers in low-elevation territories) to plantations, have sold most of the non-forest lands assigned ranches and paddy fields – which have brought to them, for house building. In spite of the large about huge soil disintegration, substantial government credits issued for relocation, surges and environmental change in late serious socio-economic issues have arisen, decades – are at any rate mostly established in including cultural problems for the former neediness (Yachkaschi et al. 2009). forest dwellers settled in towns. Relocated Illegal logging livestocks have not been organized (Shamekhi Owing to expanded interest for wood, 2011). An extensive variety of perspectives unlawful logging has been a wellspring of were gathered, including those of woods salary for some nearby – and a couple non- groups, cooperatives, government woodland neighborhoods – jobs in late decades. By official use organizations, commonplace normal asset information, 2 million m3 of mechanical timber workplaces (NROs), research establishments was lawfully extricated from the Hyrcanian and scholastic characteristic of asset resources. forests in 2001, alongside an equivalent Normal asset partners, including agents of the measure of illicit timber. In light of this issue, information sources, went to an acceptance the government has presented a strict checking workshop held by the study group (Yachkaschi framework,