One of the environmental goals of the sixth five-year economic development plan (2016-21) is to prepare the National Red List of Iran’s threatened species, an official at the Department of Environment said.
Speaking to ISNA, Majid Kharrazian, director of DOE’s Biodiversity and Wildlife Office, said, “Of the 1,140 species on the IUCN Red List in danger of extinction, 74 live in Iran.”
On the list prepared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, animals classified as “vulnerable”, “endangered” and “critically endangered” are considered threatened.
“The fact that Iran is home to 74 rare species is a testament to the country’s biodiversity, but it is also worrying,” he said.
Kharrazian noted that in the past two years, 30 species were prioritized and plans to protect them are underway.
Twenty-one species of mammals, 25 species of birds, 16 species of reptiles, two species of amphibians and 10 fish species are endangered in Iran.
Kharrazian said DOE relies on statistics provided by the IUCN to plan for threatened species.
“By compiling the National Red List, officials can use accurate data to devise more effective plans,” he said.
