What do we know about the mysterious dark holes of the earth?

Caves have unique biological diversity and underground water tables and are considered an important tourist attraction, but how to use them is very important so as not to lead to the destruction of this valuable ecosystem.

The 2nd of October this year is the 13th year that Clean Cave Day is celebrated in Iran. This day was officially registered in the country’s environmental events calendar in 2015, and the purpose of doing this is to increase awareness of the importance and values ​​of caves and the need to protect these ecosystems. . Caves are holes that are usually created due to the dissolution of rocks with water and the melting of ice, and the largest and most amazing caves are created in limestone. Some of the caves are just a small hole that only one person can enter, and some have passageways and chambers inside. Caves may be long and tunnel-like in glaciers; Where the water caused by melting passes under the ice or in volcanic areas due to the creation of cracks in a stream of its lava.

Caves have huge sources of underground water tables, which protection is vital in today’s world due to the lack of fresh water resources that many countries, especially Iran, face. They are the favorite subjects of geologists, in addition to that, caves always have a nostalgic meaning for humans; From the first pictures of human history on their walls to the first human house, caves have an inseparable connection with human life. Even today, in the hustle and bustle of the age of technology, caves are considered to be the mirror of nature’s history and human diary.

The number of caves in Iran

The number of caves in the country is said to be up to 3000, some of which are world famous due to their special features. For example, Ali Sadr (Ali Sadr) cave in Hamedan is one of the long caves that has many tourist attractions, and “Prav” cave in Kermanshah is ranked 237 in the world with 26 vertical wells. Endemic cave or cave-related species in Iran include blind fish, salamander, 51 species of bats, bears, leopards, and many species of insects.

Also, according to Amir Abbas Ahmadi – head of the natural environment department of the General Department of Environmental Protection of Tehran province – the speleological committee has succeeded in identifying 19 caves in Tehran province until 2019. Since 2017, we have been following the increase of the activity of the speleology working group in Tehran province, so that we can identify more caves and classify them based on grading and points, and we can recognize some cavities under the name of cave.

Wildlife of caves

The unique biological diversity of caves, as very special ecosystems and the presence of diverse insects that play an essential role in the chain of life, as well as bats as the night guardians of nature with an irreplaceable role in pollination, and more importantly, the existence of insectivorous bats as natural pest killers of agricultural products and natural pastures. , reminds us of the colorful role of caves. Also, according to Mohammad Medadi – Director General of the National Museum of Natural History and Genetic Resources – in addition to insects, crustaceans also live in caves. These organisms are not only inside the cave, but also outside of it, they are connected with other ecosystems, and their exchanges with the outside environment are of great ecological importance.

The relationship between tourism and cave

Caves can play a significant role in generating income as one of the best tourist attractions for countries in the tourism industry. Of course, compliance with laws and regulations and environmental protection standards is the main condition for sustainable exploitation of these valuable resources, because caves are considered among the natural reserves of every country. are and should be protected, therefore, carrying out operations such as de-powering and corrective measures to be able to use the country’s caves in the field of tourism, requires detailed scientific and expert investigations and up-to-date and modern equipment, because otherwise the life of these ecosystems and living creatures It is in danger.

According to Medadi, tourism in caves is defined on three levels. The first is the caves that are generally open to tourists. These caves are called public caves or SHOW CAVE. 12 caves in our country are included in this category. The second case is the caves where tourism is done in the form of tours. Unfortunately, in the past years, some of these tours operate without observing the established criteria and sometimes they damage the ecosystems of the caves. Also, caving and cave trekking are the third significant thing related to tourism in caves, which exist in the form of sports and as a special discipline.

He calls the word “ecotourism” suitable for describing tourism in the environment and says: using the word tourist in relation to caves and the environment in general is incorrect and the term “Echotourism” should be used. This term explains responsible tourism in nature and emphasizes on promoting the correct culture of tourism in nature, considering the special importance of caves.

According to the announcement of the Environmental Protection Organization, according to some experts and speleologists, the country’s caves are not given enough importance. They believe that touristizing caves has found new methods and building fences, building roads, installing stairs or paving to access caves is obsolete in the world, and these natural phenomena should be exposed to the eyes of those interested in a completely pristine and untouched form. But this is not the case in Iran. Nowadays, there are not many touristic caves in the world, Gharikhi in Argentina, Skok Jan in Slovenia, Leman in America, Batu in Malaysia, Firefly in New Zealand, Flute Ni in China and Alisadr Cave in Iran are in this group.

In the field of tourism, it is very important to have environmental standards. Unfortunately, some tourists, by not observing the principles of caving and throwing garbage inside the caves, cause the natural cycle to be disturbed in them, and since the sunlight does not enter the caves, the garbage rots and the growth of all kinds of fungi and bacteria destroys the life of the creatures inside the cave. risks

What did Corona do to the caves?

According to Medadi, the spread of the corona virus is an opportunity to repair the damage done to nature because it made the entire ecosystem able to breathe easily. Caves were no exception to this rule, and the conditions of Corona caused some of the damage to the environment to be repaired in recent years. In spite of the widespread damage that Covid-19 caused to the mental and physical health of humans, it also had benefits for the environment, which was at risk of destruction due to the destructive actions of humans. With the decrease in the number of trips and tourists due to the spread of Corona, a good opportunity was provided to restore the environment as well as the caves. Of course, measures should be taken so that in the post-corona era, the environment and especially the caves are not damaged by the unusual influx of tourists.

Organizations related to the cave

According to the statistics of the Iran Cavalry Association, 6.5 tons of garbage were removed from about 50 caves in the country in four years, which is a shocking statistic. Nowadays, people in the world avoid bringing all kinds of food and drinks when visiting such places and enter them only with the necessary equipment. These behaviors should be expanded in our country as well. About three decades ago, the “cave and speleology” working group was formed in the country and now operates under the supervision of the “Environmental Protection Organization”. 13 different organizations and institutions, including the Ministry of Energy, Country, Science, Research and Technology, Sports and Youth, Environmental Protection Organizations, Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism, Army Geography, Geology and Mineral Exploration of the Country, Forests, Pasture and Watershed Management. , Iranian cavers association, representative of the presidency and two non-governmental organizations are members of this working group.

According to Isna, one of the most important things that have been neglected in the case of caves is that these valuable ecosystems have not been given an environmental assessment, and unfortunately, due to the fact that we do not have a firm estimate of the number of caves in the country, we have not been able to assess Iran’s international status in terms of the number and quality of caves. Therefore, it is necessary to focus all the efforts of the authorities on this issue so that we can use the country’s ecological capacities wisely with scientific and precise planning and preserve this valuable ecosystem.