Leader Plants Saplings to Mark Natural Resources Week

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei planted saplings in Tehran on Sunday to mark National Week of Natural Resources and National Tree Planting Day.
In remarks during the ceremony, Ayatollah Khamenei underlined the importance of environmental issues and said efforts must be made to protect two major sources of wealth for the nation, namely water and soil, calling for the sustainable exploitation of the precious natural resources, Leader.ir reported. 
He also underlined the need to conserve the wildlife and stressed that any negligence in this regard would undermine national interests. 
Ayatollah Khamenei also instructed the Department of Environment and the Agriculture Ministry to prevent the conversion of agricultural lands to other functions, underscoring that such as a practice is to the detriment of national interests. 
In addition, the Leader called for promotion of clean energies, noting that “development of non-fossil sources of energy such as nuclear energy, whose application is growing in the world, must be taken seriously.” 
Back in November 2015, in a letter to heads of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, Ayatollah Khamenei had outlined 15 environmental policies developed in consultation with the Expediency Council in line with implementing the first paragraph of Article 110 of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Constitution.
Development of an integrated national environmental system and the necessity for comprehensive, coordinated and systematic management of the country’s vital resources (including water, soil, air and biodiversity) are among the most important policies underlined in the letter.
The general policies call for criminalization of destruction of the country’s environment and punishment for polluters and destroyers of the environment.
Management of climate change and countering environmental threats including desertification, dust pollution, drought, and bacterial and radioactive transmission factors as well as the study and management of emerging environmental phenomena are also among the key points in the general policies.
They necessitated the expansion of “green economy” by laying emphasis on the use of clean energies, organic agriproducts, and waste management as well as the promotion of green public transportation system.
They also urge the reinforcement of Iran’s environmental diplomacy through establishment of regional bodies to counter dust and water pollutions, and the reinforcement of bilateral, multilateral, regional, and international collaborations in the field of environment.
Effective use of international opportunities and incentives on the path toward low-carbon economy and facilitation of the transfer and development of related technologies and innovations are also among the policies outlined by the Leader in the letter.