TEHRAN -- Iran observed National Village and Nomad Day on Wednesday with events across the country highlighting the economic, cultural and social contributions of rural and nomadic communities and renewed attention to the challenges facing Iran’s villages.

The day falls on Mehr 15 in the Iranian calendar and is dedicated to the role of rural and nomadic populations in the country’s development.

The observance comes as Iran’s rural communities remain an important part of the country’s economy and cultural landscape. United Nations data put Iran’s rural population at about 19.75 million people in 2024, representing roughly one-quarter of the country’s population.

National Village and Nomad Day has increasingly been used to promote rural development, local production, handicrafts, cultural activities and tourism.

This year’s programs included cultural events and discussions involving rural officials, researchers, entrepreneurs, producers and representatives of village and nomadic communities.

In Semnan Province, the occasion has placed particular emphasis on cultural tourism as a potential source of economic activity for rural communities.

Officials have highlighted the province’s villages as repositories of traditional architecture, handicrafts, local foods and cultural practices, arguing that cultural and ecotourism can generate employment and strengthen local businesses.

One village receiving particular attention is Biabanak, a historic settlement on the edge of the Semnan Desert. A cultural evening held there this week brought together national, provincial and local officials, while a book titled Biabanak, Land of Adobe and Sun, written by Alireza Shah-Husseini, was unveiled.

Biabanak is known for its traditional adobe and brick architecture and a range of historic structures, including qanats, water cisterns, mills, ice houses, old houses and underground passages.

The village also retains distinctive culinary and linguistic traditions that local cultural figures see as potential foundations for heritage and food tourism.

The focus on Biabanak reflects a broader effort in Semnan to use cultural tourism as a tool for rural development. Officials say tourism can create a chain of economic activity, from traditional accommodation and hospitality to handicrafts and the production and sale of local goods.

At the same time, National Village and Nomad Day has drawn attention to the difficulties confronting rural communities. Rural depopulation, declining agricultural activity, water shortages, limited employment opportunities and inadequate infrastructure have affected many villages across Iran.

The challenges are particularly significant in arid regions, where water availability is closely linked to the survival of traditional agriculture and settlement.

Iran’s nomadic communities face their own pressures. Pastoral nomadism has historically been closely connected to Iran’s mountainous geography and seasonal movement between summer and winter pastures.

But changes in land use, shrinking pastureland, modernization, transportation and the expansion of permanent settlements have transformed traditional nomadic livelihoods.

Recent celebrations have therefore combined recognition of rural and nomadic contributions with calls for greater investment in infrastructure, local industries, tourism and community-based economic development.  

The emphasis on tourism reflects an attempt to address two challenges simultaneously: preserving Iran’s rural cultural heritage and creating economic reasons for younger generations to remain in or return to villages.