Tehran, Iran, March 13
Trend:
Iran's Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati has announced that despite the 300-millimeter rain fall, 95 percent of country's forests are thin and light and won't be able to handle a possible flood.
"The natural resources sector needs more work and the view towards forests should be changed," he said, Trend reports citing Fars News Agency.
He also asked why proper species of trees weren't planted.
The official was attending a meeting about afforestation of 25,000 hectares at Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization.
Hojjati noted that serious measures should be taken in this case, and said that "people should be educated", while the country needs to use specialist managers and sociologists, as far as forests and tree-planting goes.
Hojjati indicated that the National Development Fund has assigned funds to forestry and watershed management, which should be used properly.
"We should use these funds to prevent the possible damages of flood and wind," said the official.
He also touched upon the request to increase the salaries of workers in this sector.
"The government has its issues right now, and the limitations don't allow for increase of salaries. Almost half of the ministries have this problem," he explained.