fire in the forests of the world record; Where do UNESCO and the Ministry of Heritage stand?

According to ISNA; More than twenty days since the elite forest fire in Chalos; A part of the Hyrcanian forests, which is registered in the World Heritage List of the Scientific-Cultural Organization of UNESCO, passes through. An important question has involved public opinion; What is the role of international organizations such as UNESCO, as well as another shadow trustee such as the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, regarding the protection of natural heritage that has been registered in UNESCO?

Alireza Izadi, director general of the office of registration of historical monuments and preservation and restoration of spiritual and natural heritage of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, said in response:

In the field of natural elements and even cultural and historical works, UNESCO basically has a supervisory and advisory role. UNESCO does not allocate direct funds for executive intervention, nor does it take measures to contain such crises. It is not right to expect UNESCO to come and put out the fire. If we ever need scientific advice or exchange of expert opinions, we can interact with this institution, but from a financial and executive point of view, we cannot expect direct involvement from UNESCO; Because it is basically a cultural, scientific and supervisory institution.

He added:

This capacity is mostly used for accreditation, introducing and developing tourism and strengthening global registration files. We are also consulting and planning for the development of these sectors.

The director general of the country’s historical records office said:

The importance of the global registration of this region is not hidden from anyone, but we must note that unfortunately, such incidents, with all their difficulty and bitterness, happen from time to time. I have heard that the judicial system is investigating the origin of the fire to determine whether the human factor played a role in this incident or whether it was caused by natural factors. Whatever it was, this bitter incident has offended everyone.

He went on to say that we have passed a very dry season this year.

This incident happened at the worst possible time; Because in spring and summer, air humidity often prevents the huge spread of fire, but in autumn, the climatic conditions do not have such a deterrent. All the groups involved, from the popular forces and local volunteers to the Red Crescent, environmental and natural resources managers, have been trying with all their might. However, the climatic conditions and vegetation of the region have caused the fire to flare up from several fronts and make crisis management difficult. It was thought that the fire would be controlled much sooner, but unfortunately, it has re-ignited every time despite partial containment.

The director general of the office of registration of historical monuments and preservation and restoration of spiritual and natural heritage added:

Unfortunately, in some media, the real efforts of the people and local forces are not properly reflected; People who are helping with difficulty and passion. At the international level, the government has coordinated with Türkiye, and I saw in some sources that the issue of consultation with Russia has also been raised. We hope that the climatic conditions will be more favorable to speed up the fire suppression process. This incident is very unfortunate and we hope it will not happen again.