Strategic Policies of Natural Resources Sector
In
The Fourth Five -Year Development Plan
1. Strengthening national will for conservation, revival, improvement, development, and increase of productivity in natural resources,
2. Adopting an integrated approach for the management of natural resources aimed at sustainable development,
3. Raising public awareness on natural resources through organizing training and extension programs,
4. Strengthening cooperation and participation of both local communities and land users in natural resources sustainable management
5. Exercising government ownership rights on national lands through land survey,
6. Conserving natural resources and genetic reserve by employing high technology as well as identifying rear plants and endangered species,
7. Making optimal use of lands by carrying out land use planning,
8. Encouraging investments in natural resource sectors,
9. Eliminating factors contributing to the unsustainablity of nature,
10. Developing new websites and data banks in the field of natural resources as well as updating and sharing information through networking,
11. Improving the productivity through enhancing public knowledge, revising the training and extension curriculum and continuation of the administrative evolution and decentralization process,
12. Preventing the conversion of agriculture and natural resources land through sound planning,
13. Determining ecological values of natural resources,
14. Developing international cooperation in the field of natural resources,
Natural Resources Management
In
The Fourth Five-Year Development Plan
The fourth Five-Year Development Plan was ratified by the parliament in 2004. In this section we introduced an excerpt relating to natural resources management as follows:
Part 1) Development of a knowledge- based national economy for interaction with the world economy
Chapter One) Infrastructures for rapid economic growth
Article 17) The government has the duty to manage water resources in the whole hydrological cycle based on an integrated management plan within supply and demand mechanism and the sustainable development modality, with due to consideration to the economic value of water and through awareness raising and public participation.
Article 18) The government has the duty to prepare, within 6 months after ratification, The Agriculture and Natural Resources Development Program with due consideration to self- sufficiency in basic agricultural products, food security, economizing production and expanding export of agricultural products and increasing added-value predicted in table2 part 7 of this plan as follows:
- Investment for infrastructural activities (water & soil) and development of irrigation and drainage network in 2 million hectares in agricultural lands.
- Issue of title deeds for agricultural lands located outside city and villages border in the name of the owners by Documents and Real Estate Registration Organization by the end of the fourth plan.
- Modernization and development of orchards with preference to sloppy and suitable lands in 1 million hectare.
Article 20) Articles 108,121,122 and 134 of the third Five-Year Socio-Economic and Cultural Development Plan of I.R. of Iran ratified in 2000 and amendments thereof are valid for the fourth Five-Year Development Plan 2005 -2009.
Article 28) The government has the duty to formulate the Transportation Development Program to be approved by the cabinet aiming to develop transportation economy, increase safety and facilitate cargo and passenger transportation in the fourth Five-Year Development Plan, provided that the budget shall not exceed the ceiling mentioned in the table 4 of this plan.
Part 2) Environmental Conservation, Land Use Planning, and Regional Balance
Chapter Five) Environmental Conservation
Article 58) The government has the duty to mandate line ministries and organizations to expedite the implementation of the Action Plan for Conservation and Exploitation of Bio Diversity. The national criteria for bio diversity should be finalized by the end of the fourth national plan.
Article 59) Management and Planning Organization (MPO) should, in cooperation with Department of Environment to (DoE) and other relevant organizations, formulate directives for assessing values and costs of sectors such as forest, water, soil, energy, bio diversity and environmental pollution in hot points aiming to evaluate economic values of natural resources and the environment as well as expenses incurred due to environmental pollution and degradation in the process of development in the country.
Article 60) The government has the duty to develop general and specialized courses on the environment in all training centers and universities to give support to investments in natural resources and the environment sector, and strengthen institutional framework in responsible organizations aiming to provide an enabling environment for development of natural resources and the environment.
Article 63) The government has the duty to review, amend and develop the Integrated Coastal Management Program and legislations thereof and determine responsible organizations aiming to prevent pollutions and coastal degradations with emphasis on the Caspian Sea by putting in place measures including determination of coastal boundaries, integrated coastal management and updating fishing, navigation, aquaculture and environmental standards.
Article 67) The government has the duty to formulate and implement Ecological Management and Sensitive Ecosystems Program, specifically in Uremia Lake. Department of Environment (DoE) in cooperation with Management and Planning Organization (MPO) and ministries of Energy and Jihad-Agriculture should prepare directives thereof and submitted it to the cabinet for approval.
The government has the duty to take measures in cooperation with relevant department in armed forces, to prevent uncontrolled hunting and bio diversity degradation and restrict the issuance of permits for using fire arms, revise permit application formalities based on the wild life population released by DoE and collect unauthorized fire arms by the end of the fourth national plan.
Article 68) Ministry of Jihad Agriculture has the duty to finalize land survey and identification of national lands by the end of the fourth national plan aimed at determination and exercise of government ownership rights on national lands. Document and Real Estate Registration Organization should accept maps of national lands as official documents for the issuance of title deeds.
Article 69) The government has the duty to formulate and implement the program for conservation, reclamation, improvement, development and utilization of renewable natural resources based on the priorities as follows:
- Withdrawal of livestock and forest dwellers up to 70 percent by the end of the fourth national plan,
- Reduction of livestock to 50 percent of extra to the rangelands grazing capacity aimed at creating balance between livestock and range capacity through cancellation of grazing permits,
- Implementation of watershed management operation in 20 percent of dams’ basins and 10 percent of other basins,
- Development of wood culture up to 100,000 hectares and lifting import tariffs and fighting against illegal wood trafficking,
- Development of green spaces and plantations up to 500,000 hectares and implementation of desertification control operation in critical foci up to 1.5 million hectares,
- Implementation of flood spreading operation in rural and urban regions and other agriculture and natural resources areas up to 1.5 million hectares aimed to develop wooded rangelands, convert deserts to farm lands and recharge aquifers,
- Security belt for forests in the Caspian, Zagros, Arasbaran, Oman and Persian Gulf and Irano- Turani regions,
- Fuel supply skill for nomads, forest dwellers and rural communities,
- Participation of rural councils and local volunteers for conservation and protection of forests and rangelands up to 15 percent of operational program,
- Exploitation of forests should be carried out based on ecological factors and conservation norms,
Article 70) The government has the duty to initiate the range management plan, giving due priority to designated nomad households in the framework of Nomad Settlement Scheme aiming at sustainability of natural resources, management of a grazing regime and protection of genetic reserves,
Article 71) Article 105 and Para h of article 104 of the third Five- Year Development Plan of I.R. of Iran ratified in 2000 shall be valid for the fourth Five- Year Development Plan 2005-2009.
Chapter Six) Land Use Planning and Regional Balance
Article 72) The government has the duty to implement the national land use planning scheme including the following strategies from the beginning of the fourth Five- Year Development Plan aiming to distribute population and infrastructure proportionately throughout the country and make effective use of existing priorities and capacities,
1- Outlook strategy for terrestrial development based on general policies for the analysis of regional and international situation and terrestrial priorities, advantages and limitations,
2- Strategy for population distribution in the territory, settlement patterns and rural and urban administrative system,
3. Strategy for specific regions and areas with strategic importance in terms of security , strategic, environmental, natural resources and cultural heritage,
Part 4) Protection of Islamic-National Identity and Culture
Chapter Nine) Cultural Development
Article 117) Ministry of Jihad Agriculture has the duty to transfer non agriculture lands andareas not under DoE out of city borders to Physical Training Organization (PTO) for construction of sport complexes free of charge. The ministry is also responsible to transfer lands, after the confirmation of PTO, to private sector for sport installations based on the price announced by Ministry of Economy & Financial Affairs.
Part 6) Government Modernization and Good Governance
Chapter Twelve) Government Modernization and Good Governance
Article 135) The role and duties of government should be defined and formulated in areas including governance, social, cultural and service affairs as well as infrastructure and economy. . including conservation of environment, natural resources and cultural heritages.