Development strategies and environmental protection policies have not been successful in mountain environment. This is important to take into account the significant role of these areas as source of natural resources (water, natural vegetation, natural and culrural heritage, etc. . .)and as uplands affecting low land plains. In fact, final ecological impacts of development and even so-called prorection policies have caused degradation more than preservation, due to the lack of proper understanding and knowledge of mountain, specificity and ecology. Protective measures have not been devised on the basis of systemic and ecological approaches, but only economic support of “marginal” mountain society. Only increase in production and short term economic consideration have been the basis for protective strategies by subsidies offered to these less productive marginal lands. Protective and development measures are required but on the basis of a systemic approach; “Livelihood system” and “Environmental Evaluations” are needed in order to assure a sustainable mountain landuse in upland regions.
Mountains have never been as much under pressure before, despite all these strategies and attempts. Proportional to infrastructure development and population growth, ecosystems have been experiencing disturbances even in most remote high altitude mountains. The extent of this degradation and importance of mountain environment (now even recognised for the development of plains) is such that this year has been called the International Year of Mountains (IYM) by United Nations for world-wide capacity building.
Recalling this event (IYM) also gave us the opportunity to underline the importance of mountain environmental planning and its development in Iran, with about 2/3 of it under direct influence of mountains by presence of “high — land - low — land” continum systems in small closed watersheds.
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