Iran's Department of Environment to use AI for protecting natural areas

Iran’s Department of Environment (DOE) is set to enhance its conservation efforts by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) systems to manage and monitor the country’s protected areas. Currently, 25 per cent of these regions are monitored through traditional visual systems, but the upgrade to AI will improve efficiency, accuracy, and responsiveness. This is reported by Tehran Times, a partner of TV BRICS.

As part of Iran’s growing conservation efforts, five new protected areas covering 230,000 hectares have been established, bringing the total to 19.5 million hectares. These areas now make up 11.8 per cent of Iran’s land.

The new additions include:

• Gavkhoni Wetland (63,000 hectares), aiming to preserve land use, vegetation, and bird species.

• Kalate and Tang-e Sorkh (11,000 hectares) in Fars Province, a pristine wildlife and hunting-free zone.

• Padena (30,000 hectares) in Semirom, Isfahan Province, critical for connecting wildlife movements with the nearby Dena National Park.

• Kalate Desert (126,000 hectares) in east Isfahan, home to species like rams, gazelles, and bustards.

Iran’s first protected areas were designated in 1967, with the establishment of two national parks and 15 protected zones. Since then, the number of protected regions has expanded significantly, from 65 areas in 1976 to over 300 today, covering 19.5 million hectares.

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