Visit to the proposed trans-national serial components of the ‘Hyrcanian Forests’ took place

The project that has been financed by the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and implemented by the MSF to technically support Rep. Azerbaijan and I.R. Iran to include the other areas of internationally significant conservation value to the existing ‘Hyrcanian Forests’ World Heritage Property.

The idea of the project was to respond to IUCN recommendations endorsed by the World Heritage Committee ‘to consider options for a transnational serial property with other Hyrcanian forest areas in Iran’.

The field visit, which has been delayed due to Corona restrictions, was finally carried out during September through the invitation and coordination of both States Parties. The proposed serial sites, including three components in the Hirkan National Park in Azerbaijan and two components in the Dizmar Protected Area in Iran, shed a new light to the other aspects of uniqueness of the Hyrcanian forests ecosystem.

The story of the Hyrcanian forests, consisting of the sites that are currently inscribed in Iran and the sites that have been proposed for extension, represents an intact combination of natural evolution and diversity over a history of millions of years which makes everyone to wonder and admire.

Following this field visit and, accordingly, the technical suggestions and recommendations of MSF experts in regard to the IUCN mission, a representative of MSF, Prof. Dr. Hans Dieter Knapp (deputy chair of the foundation board), has been invited and traveled to Iran to accompany the IUCN field mission.