Iran’s Forests Burn Down at a Rate of 21,000 Hectares a Year
The news about the destruction of at least 300 hectares of Zagros forests during the Marivan fires in August 2022 is at the center of public attention in Iran. However, this is not the first nor the largest forest fire in the country.
Iran Open Data’s research shows that between 2011 and 2021, approximately 228,000 hectares of forests and rangelands have burned down. Specifically, during this period 103,000 hectares of forests and 125,000 hectares of rangelands have burned down. In other words, on average, more than 9,000 hectares of forests and 11,000 hectares of rangelands have been burning down annually.
The analysis of statistical data from the Forests, Rangelands and Watershed Management Organization from 2009-2019 indicates that more than 22,100 incidents of wildfires have occurred in forests and rangelands. Of these, 10,527 incidents occurred in forests, and 11,576 incidents occurred in rangelands.
In other words, an average of 10 hectares of forests and 11 hectares of rangeland have been lost due to these fires.
According to the information provided in the statistical yearbooks of the Statistical Center of Iran, the most destructive fires occured in 2020. That year, the number of wildfires was 80% higher. The area that burned down was 130% higher than the annual average. The number of wildfires in 2020 was about 3,700, and the total destroyed area was nearly 48,000 hectares.
Regional data is not available, but Forest Destruction Rate data, published in the report on the socioeconomic status of provinces, indicates that the level of destruction in the central and southern Zagros regions is higher than the national average.
