Zagros at the Center of Dialogue / Lorestan University Hosts Specialized Sessions on Iranian Forests

The specialized sessions of the 7th National Conference on Iranian Forests, focusing on social forestry and with special attention to the Zagros forests, were held on Thursday, November 26th, hosted by Lorestan University.

According to the Public Relations of Lorestan University, in these sessions, national representatives in the field of natural resources, university professors, specialists, and non-governmental organizations of natural resources presented the latest viewpoints, critiques, and scientific and practical solutions for improving forest management and enhancing the role of local communities in protecting the Zagros habitats.

In this series of sessions, Dr. Shabaniyan (Advisor to the Head of the National Resources and Watershed Management Organization), Dr. Ahmadi (Project Manager for Planting One Billion Saplings), Engineer Shirzad Najafi (Director General of Natural Resources and Watershed Management of Lorestan) along with a group of researchers and academics were present and exchanged views on effective methods for implementing the social forestry project - which is based on public participation, the responsibility of local communities, and the use of indigenous knowledge.

Also, part of these sessions was devoted to the specialized evaluation of the One Billion Sapling Planting project, and specialists examined scientific approaches for the success of this project in the Zagros climate.

The sessions were held with a discussion-based approach, and Dr. Seyed Vahid Seyedna, the executive secretary of the conference, while participating in the discussions, emphasized the link between university knowledge and field experiences in sustainable forest management.

One of the highlights of the conference was the presence of the "Father of Iranian Oak," Mozaffar Afshar, who, relying on years of field experience in the field of oak protection, shared his operational views and warnings with the participants.

These sessions were part of the main programs of the 7th National Conference on Iranian Forests, which was held with the aim of national synergy for the preservation of the country's forests and strengthening the scientific position of Lorestan province in Zagros studies.

The Dean of the Faculty of Natural Resources of Lorestan University is Dr. Hamed Naghavi.