A whopping 1.1 million hectares of land in Fars Province are losing their battle with desertification, according to the director of the provincial office of Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization. “The culprit is perpetual drought that has tightened its grip on Fars in recent years,” said Mehrzad Boustani, as reported by Mehr News Agency. “The province’s forests are in grave danger. “Swathes of land in the northern and northwestern regions, as well as areas in the southeastern regions of the province have already turned into deserts. The desert patches are growing in northern counties like Eqlid and Abadeh, northwestern county of Mamasani, particularly near city of Nourabad, as well as the southeastern county of Zarrindasht, Boustani told Mehr News. However, the FRWO has implemented counter measures in certain counties. In Zarrindasht and Mamasani counties, large portions of land have undergone reforestation. The measures, which officials hope will curb the impact of dust storms and check desertification, will be replicated in other counties if successful. Signs of desertification have been observed in 18 counties across the province. “It is a worrying trend,” Boustani said.
