TEHRAN – The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) has awarded the country two awards at the World Conservation Congress: the Reverse the Red Award and the 2025 International Ranger Award.
The conference will be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE from October 11th to 15th.
Reverse the Red is a global movement calling for strategic cooperation and action to ensure the survival of wild species and ecosystems and reverse negative trends in biodiversity loss.
Through strategic initiatives, Reverse the Red brings together a diverse coalition of leading scientists, advocates, and partners committed to using data-driven and science-based approaches to assess, plan, and act for species conservation.
Reverse the Red provides tools and expertise to enable governments, partners and communities to set and achieve biodiversity conservation goals, celebrating and amplifying the achievements of species.
This year, Reverse the Red awarded medals to 26 countries that demonstrated outstanding performance in developing and implementing evidence-based National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).
A panel of experts led by the IUCN Species Survival Committee reviewed the NBSAPs of all parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, using clear criteria to assess both the process and content of each plan. Scoring was based on transparency, scientific rigor, stakeholder engagement and alignment with global biodiversity targets, with medals awarded to the highest scoring NBSAPs in each IUCN Statutory Region.
Iranian Ambassador to Abu Dhabi, Reza Ameri, received the award on behalf of the country.
The IUCN WCPA has awarded 13 rangers and ranger teams with the 2025 International Ranger Awards in recognition of their incredible dedication to conservation.
The International Ranger Awards aim to celebrate the courage, resilience and perseverance of rangers around the world. We provide winners with funding to showcase their achievements, raise public awareness of the importance of such professionals, and support the lands they protect.
This year, WCPA, in collaboration with Conservation Allies, Universal Ranger Support Alliance, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, awarded six individuals and seven teams with awards ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.
Iran is the first country in West Asia to receive this award. The Saivar National Park and Southern Parvar Reserve ranger team (9 members) in Semnan province was commended for decisively overcoming social and ecological challenges to advance conservation.
As reported by doe.ir, Azin Saidi received the award on behalf of Rangers.
WCPA is the world’s leading network of conservation and conservation area expertise. The Commission has more than 3,200 members across 140 countries and provides strategic advice to policymakers and works to strengthen capacity and investment for the establishment and management of protected areas.
Strategic goals for long-term biodiversity conservation
The Department of Environment (DOE) has revised its comprehensive plan and set strategic goals for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by Iranian calendar year 1430 (March 2051-March 2052).
In May, President Massoud Pezeshkian issued an order requiring the DOE to develop a comprehensive plan for preserving the country’s biodiversity covering various environmental areas.
According to a report by IRNA, several meetings were held along this line with the participation of teachers, environmental experts, management, and even NGOs.
During the meeting, participants agreed on five main objectives: promoting biodiversity integrity and resilience, conserving biodiversity for sustainable use, equitably sharing the benefits from genetic resources, raising public awareness, strengthening expertise and state-of-the-art technology for effective biodiversity management, and strengthening financial resources and national mechanisms for the implementation of comprehensive strategic plans for biodiversity.
Finally, the National Biodiversity Conservation Program will be revised by relevant government agencies, academic experts, and non-governmental organizations based on the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and approved by the DOE.
MT/MG