Exchange with Anzali Wetland (Iran)

Exchange with Anzali Wetland (Iran)

• Anzali Wetland
• Anzali Wetland Ecological Management Project
• Relationships with Kushiro-shitsugen
• Recent Activities

Anzali Wetland

Located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in northern Iran, Anzali Wetland covers an area of 193 square kilometers, and includes lagoons and extensive reed beds. It is known as a major breeding and wintering site for water birds around the world. The wetland is also an important spawning and nursery area for fish in the Caspian Sea, supporting fertile fishing grounds with vibrant activity in this industry.
Anzali Wetland was registered under the Ramsar Convention in 1975, making it one of the oldest Ramsar sites in Iran. However, it was listed in the Montreux Record^* in 1993 as a site in need of priority conservation due to recent water quality deterioration caused by urbanization, agricultural drainage, sediment influx and other problems.

* Montreux Record
The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur. Ramsar sites considered to be in need of priority conservation are listed on this record.

Anzali Wetland Ecological Management Project

To improve waterside environments and protect valuable ecosystems for the diverse wild flora and fauna that make their habitat on Anzali Wetland, the government of Japan responded to a request from the government of Iran for a study to formulate a conservation plan and for technical support. The study and support were implemented from 2003 to 2012 through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This sharing of techniques and information on wetland monitoring and management planning, along with the provision of assistance in the development of a wetland management system, led to the establishment of the Anzali Wetland Management Committee in 2011. Staffed mainly by members of Iran’s Department of the Environment, the Committee drew up a master plan for the management of Anzali Wetland. Concrete initiatives have also been introduced to develop materials for environmental education and lay the foundations for eco-tourism promotion.

• Japan International Cooperation Agency（JICA）Iran Office

Relationships with Kushiro-shitsugen

Officials involved in the Anzali Wetland Ecological Management Project are familiar with the wetland conservation efforts and international cooperation initiatives implemented at Kushiro-shitsugen - Japan’s first Ramsar site. During the project based on collaboration between JICA and Iran’s Department of the Environment, KIWC also hosted JICA training sessions designed to help Iranian wetland conservation experts enhance their expertise at Japanese wetlands. Through these sessions and international conferences, people involved in the conservation of Anzali Wetland visited Kushiro-shitsugen and learned about how to conserve and use wetlands. To leverage the ties established between Japan and Iran as a result of the project in ongoing wetland conservation efforts, KIWC began exchanges with parties involved in the conservation of Anzali Wetland in 2011.

JICA Country-focused (Iran) Training in Japan for the Anzali Wetland Ecological Management Project Phase II (2015)

Of the training provided in various parts of Japan, KIWC was in charge of part of the training in Kushiro. It hosted a lecture and an inspection tour of the Kushiro Wetland on September 8 to outline the wetland's conservation and utilization. On September 11, a discussion and exchange session was held to discuss initiatives and issues regarding the wetland. Finally, the KIWC Secretary General wrapped up the session with some general comments.

JICA Counterpart Training on Iran's Anzali Wetland Ecological Management Project 2 (FY 2014)

KIWC hosted a lecture and an inspection tour on October 14 to highlight matters relating to the conservation and utilization of the Kushiro Wetland. On October 17, an exchange meeting was held to round off the training in Kushiro. A presentation given at the event by KIWC Technical Committee Chair on nature restoration in the Kushiro Wetland was followed by others given by trainees on the outcomes of the training. Finally, the KIWC Secretary General wrapped up the meeting with some general comments, highlighting hopes that the outcomes of the training would be used to help conserve the Anzali Wetland in the future.

International Workshop on Wetland and Biodiversity Conservation

Term: February 25-28, 2013
Venue: Ramsar, Iran
Organizer: Ramsar Regional Centre-Central and West Asia

Around 60 experts and working-level officials from 26 Ramsar Convention signatory states in Central and Western Asia attended this workshop held in Iran, and presented case studies on the current situations of wetland and biodiversity conservation in their countries. The event was also attended by the KIWC Secretary General, who spoke about wetland conservation and efforts to promote ecotourism in the Kushiro region.
On the sidelines of his visit to Iran, the Secretary General met with the Governor of Gilan Province and the Director of Iran’s Department of the Environment to discuss the feasibility of future collaborative activities in wetland conservation, such as exchanges between KIWC and the Anzali Wetland Management Committee .

JICA Counterpart Training on Iran’s Anzali Wetland Ecological Management Project (FY 2012)

Term: June 18-20, 2012
Venue Kushiro, Japan
Participants: 2 officials from Department of Environment, Iran

KIWC hosted a JICA training course in Kushiro as part of JICA’s Anzali Wetland Ecological Management Project. The course included a workshop attended by JICA trainees and officials involved in the management of Kushiro-shitsugen as well as a field tour to Kushiro-shitsugen. The trainees, Japanese officials involved in the Anzali Wetland conservation project and KIWC representatives also discussed related matters and concluded a memorandum on technical collaboration and exchanges between staff at the two wetlands.

Meeting to Promote Exchanges between Kushiro-shitsugen and Anzali Wetland

To promote exchanges between Kushiro-shitsugen and Anzali Wetland, attendees discussed specific future activities and schedules, and concluded a memorandum on the subjects covered.

JICA Counterpart Training on Iran’s Anzali Wetland Ecological Management Project (FY 2011)

Term: September 6-15, 2011
Venue: Tokyo, Miyagi and Kushiro, Japan
Participants 5 officials from Department of Environment, Iran

KIWC hosted the Kushiro part of JICA training held as part of its Anzali Wetland Ecological Management Project, organizing lectures and practical training on the conservation of Kushiro-shitsugen. KIWC Bureau members and trainees discussed matters and concluded a memorandum on how to further develop the wetland conservation exchanges between Japan and Iran that stemmed from the project.