Urban development has once again encroached on the boundaries of the so-called protected area in Kazeroun, Fars Province, which is a natural habitat of the rare Persian fallow deer.
Bulldozers and heavy-duty machinery have cut down hundreds of trees and flattened other vegetation within the limits of Arjan and Parishan Biosphere Reserve in the province, and right next to the fences surrounding the habitat of the rare deer.
Also known as Mesopotamian fallow deer, the rare animal has been listed as an endangered species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List since 1986. Up until the 1940s, the animal was thought to be extinct.
The operation is said to be aimed at clearing the way for the construction of a road for a nearby village, Mehr News Agency reported.
Threatening Factors
Sadly, the violation has been committed with the legal permit of the Department of Environment, lamented Ali Akbar Kazemeini, an environmentalist.
"The move falls short of expectations because there is some breach of regulations. The DOE wouldn't have allowed such destruction if it had been fully aware of the consequences."
Unfortunately, he said, hundreds of oak and hawthorn trees, wild shrubs and milkvetches have been chopped down under the pretext of building an access road.
"Huge soil displacement will bring about soil degradation. In addition, there will be no trees and big rocks in the area to contain floods caused by even not-so-heavy precipitation," he added.
The environmentalist also cited the unnecessary presence of people and tourists, littering, noise pollution, waste burning and finally extension of roads up to the proximity of the protected area as factors severely menacing the wildlife and environment in the area.
Arjan and Parishan Biosphere Reserve was listed as a Ramsar site in 1976, meeting the ecological and biodiversity criteria of this universal convention.
However, the current destruction "can seriously threaten a wide range of flora and fauna in the region and undermine the area's global status," Kazemeini said.
Unconvincing Justification
Reacting to the protests, Nabiollah Moradi, deputy head of provincial DOE office, said that apparently, "the road project contractor has violated the limits of the construction permit and the offender will definitely be referred to legal authorities."
In response to why the office failed to stop the operations, Moradi acknowledged inaction on the side of DOE officials and promised to compensate for the loss.
More accountability is imperative on the part of officials over environmental issues which are escalating throughout the country. The already vulnerable environment of Fars Province can absorb no more human-caused destruction and it is obvious that to save the remaining traces of wildlife and vegetation in the region, a more sympathetic and responsible management strategy is essential.
About the Reserve
Arjan and Parishan Biosphere Reserve is situated in the Zagros Mountains in the Caucasus-Iranian highlands, and encompass terrestrial as well as water habitats.
Significant differences in elevation throughout the reserve result in a rich diversity of flora and fauna. People living in the area earn their livelihoods from agriculture, animal husbandry and carpet weaving.
The principal problems facing the biosphere reserve are the repercussions of land use changes for cultivation, groundwater depletion, overgrazing and illegal hunting and fishing. The need to increase public awareness on the issues and review license rights in the reserve is therefore a necessity.
