TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) organized a conference in Tehran on Monday to mark International Wetlands Day, with representatives from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the embassies of the UAE, Iraq, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in attendance.

The event was held concurrently with the Ramsar Convention anniversary.

Addressing the conference, Shina Ansari, the head of the DOE, said securing the water rights of wetlands is a top priority of the department. She also highlighted smart monitoring of wetlands and the sustainable use of them.

The DOE is planning to hold the conference on Wetlands internationally next year, Ansari noted.

Addressing the conference,  Ahmad-Reza Lahijanzadeh, deputy for Marine and Wetlands at the DOE, said the DOE highlights the significance of benefiting from indigenous knowledge in preserving the wetlands.

Wetlands are havens for a variety of birds and plants, and on the other hand, they support the livelihood of the local communities living near wetlands, so protecting them is one of the priorities of the DOE. This year, the department has planned to conserve the wetlands with the help of local communities, IRNA quoted Lahijanzadeh as saying.

Indigenous knowledge, developed over centuries of coexistence, is the key to managing and restoring wetlands, the official noted.

For her part, Somayeh Rafiei, the head of the Iranian parliament’s environment fraction, said wetlands are the most important ecosystems with various functions across economic, social, and livelihood sectors.

Wetlands contribute to economic prosperity in the regions, and their loss brings about social and political problems, a typical example of which is the drying up of border wetlands in the country. Many wetlands have degraded in the country, affecting the livelihoods of local communities.

The official went on to highlight the integration of local knowledge into modern scientific approaches to save wetlands.

Iran’s geography is distinct, teeming with diverse landscapes. In Iran, 141 wetlands with ecological value, with an area of over 3 million hectares, have been identified, 27 of which were listed in the International Ramsar Convention.

In November 2025, the DOE announced the beginning of a new phase of the wetlands conservation project (2025 –2028) to strengthen sustainable livelihoods and alleviate pressure on the wetlands ecosystem.

Backed by successful experiences in Lake Urmia, the basins in Gilan, Fars, Parishan, and those in East and West Azerbaijan provinces, the project has provided the basis for promoting wetland protection and improving sustainable resource utilization, IRIB quoted Fereshteh Jadori, an official with DOE, as saying on November 25.

The pilot implementation of the project in Shadegan and Behbahan in the previous phase yielded significant results, and these achievements led the project to enter a new phase with the support of international institutions and domestic agencies, she added.

The official went on to highlight the role of technical and vocational education and training in empowering local people to protect wetlands and improve their income.

International Wetlands Day

International Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2nd every year. World Wetlands Day 2026, under the theme “Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage,” explores the deep-rooted connections between wetlands and cultural practices, traditions, and knowledge systems of communities across the world.

Although they cover only around 6 per cent of the Earth’s land surface, 40 per cent of all plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands. Wetland biodiversity matters for our health, our food supply, for tourism, and for jobs.

Wetlands are vital for humans, for other ecosystems, and for our climate, providing essential ecosystem services, such as water regulation, including flood control and water purification. More than a billion people across the world depend on wetlands for their livelihoods – that’s about one in eight people on Earth.

Human activities that lead to loss of wetlands include drainage and infilling for agriculture and construction, pollution, overfishing and overexploitation of resources, invasive species, and climate change.

Indicators of current negative trends in global biodiversity and ecosystem functions are projected to continue in response to direct and indirect drivers, such as rapid human population growth, unsustainable production and consumption, and associated technological development, as well as the adverse impacts of climate change.

This vicious cycle of wetland loss, threatened livelihoods, and deepening poverty is the result of mistakenly seeing wetlands as wastelands rather than life-giving sources of jobs, incomes, and essential ecosystem services. A key challenge is to change mindsets to encourage governments and communities to value and prioritize wetlands.

MT/MG