The spiritual and economical importance of forest resources during COVID-۱۹

The COVID-۱۹ pandemic has had global impacts, including about ۴.۲ million deaths and ۹۰,۶۳۰ deaths in the world and Iran, respectively. There is a growing concern about the economic impacts on rural households involved in small-scale activities in the Global South. Forest products, such as medicinal plants and fodder are a major source of income in many rural communities. In this paper, we investigate forest product related responses to the COVID-۱۹ outbreak. Using semi-structured household interviews (n=۳۸۴) in ۲۶ villages in northwestern Iran. Household economies were particularly reliant on animal husbandry (۲۶.۲% of total annual household income) and farming (۲۵.۷%). Environmental income contribute an average of ۱۸% of total household income. Almost half of the households (۴۵%) experienced lower livestock prices (۴۵%), a lack of buyers (۴۹%), and a lockdown of animal markets (۳۸%). Fodder (collected by ۴۵% of households), medicinal plants (۴۲%), and wild fruits (۲۹%) were the most important environmental products harvested during the COVID-۱۹ crisis. Our research suggests that increasing the range of environmental product income options, in particular from rangelands, would help offset the negative economic impacts of the COVID-۱۹ pandemic on rural households.

کلیدواژه ها:

Diseases ، livelihoods ، rural communities ، forest ، Iran