Iran unveils 'No Need to Worry' documentary on Hyrcanian forests

The Iranian documentary “No Need to Worry” has been unveiled depicting the gradual destruction of Hyrcanian forests of the Caspian Sea due to improper waste disposal.

The unveiling of the 25-minute documentary took place at the Center for Strategic Studies with Hesamoddin Ashena, the head of the center and advisor to the president attending. Also in attendance were authorities from Iran Ministry of Interior, Department of Environment and top ranking officials from Gilan and Mazandaran coastal provinces.

The film’s director and producer along with a group of environmental activists and experts were also present in the meeting.

After the screening of the film, Ashena expressed concerns over waste management in general and waste management of northern parts of Iran in particular, stressing the fact that mismanagement of such has turned what seemed to be a short-term solution in the past into a permanent long-term problem in the present.

“Only two choices stand before us, either to continue validating the previous decisions or to acknowledge the mistakes that were made so that current and future generations will not have to suffer the consequences,” he said.

He proposed increasing accountability and public awareness regarding waste as means of addressing the issue.

"We need to inform the society that certain solutions do actually exist and in turn to reach a consensus on the existence of such solutions," the advisor to the president said. 

 “According to the film’s narrative and that of the environmental activists and experts we can conclude that the less we produce waste, thus the less we pollute the nature, the easier it will be to prevent particular issues and problems,” he said.

The film’s producer pointed out the high number of films produced focusing on social concerns saying.

“We produce an average of 30 films per year that are mainly sponsored by Owj Arts and Media Organization but we are literally exhausted since they do not have the desired impact and most of which do not even get a chance of broadcast on Television.”

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"The efforts to bring closer the government’s and the people’s perception on the matter through production of such films is of little or no avail. Numerous meetings are conducted and a lot of things are said but nothing has had a noteworthy impact on alleviating  the problems. We are heading towards destruction at full speed,” he added.

Later, officials from Gilan and Mazandaran province discussed matters pertaining to waste management of the coastal regions.

“No Need to Worry” documents efforts of an environmental activist, Alireza Falahatkar, who educates village administrators regarding waste separation in one of the best landfill sites in Mazandaran province.

The ancient Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests date back between 25 to 50 million years and cover an 850 kilometer-long stretch of lush lowland and mountain woodlands spanning Iran’s northeastern and northern regions bordering the Caspian Sea.

The region is known to have a remarkable floristic biodiversity and hosts a wide variety of animal species — including 296 bird and 98 mammal species — and some 150 plant species.

During the past decade many factors have threatened the well-being of this unique forest including illegal activity, excessive construction and improper waste disposal.

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