Department of Environment (Iran)

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The Iranian Department of Environment (Persian: سازمان حفاظت محیط زیست) is a governmental organization, under the supervision of the president, that is responsible for matters related to safeguarding the environment.

The origins of the department can be traced back to the Hunting Club of Iran, established in 1956. Later, it developed into an organization overseeing hunting and fishing activities in the country. In 1971, the organization changed its name to its current one, and notably has hosted the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in the city of Ramsar on the same year.

Today the organization maintains a list of four types of protected areas as follows:^[1][2]

• 23 National Parks, including Kavir, Touran, and Tandooreh National Parks,
• 32 National Natural Monuments, including Mounts Damavand, Sabalan, Taftan, and Alam-Kuh,
• 37 Wildlife Refuges, including Hamoon and Miandasht Wildlife Refuges, and
• 117 Protected Areas, including Mounts Dena and Alvand, Lake Parishan, Jajrood, Karkheh, and Haraz Rivers, and Arasbaran.