Launch of a Management Committee to protect Anzali Wetland in I.R. Iran
Anzali Wetland is located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in the Islamic Republic of Iran and was listed as a Ramsar Site in June 1975. The Ramsar Site was listed on the Montreux Record in 1993 as clear signs of degradation were noted due to a range of influences related to human activity (development activities, indirect impact through the inflow of sewage, wastewater, and solid waste). Another problem was sedimentation due to the deposit of soil brought in by surrounding streams.
In this context, a technical cooperation between the Government of the I.R. Iran and the Government of Japan was created to establish a conservation plan for Anzali Wetland. Following an agreement signed by the two Governments in 1958, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been implementing a series of technical cooperations in several sectors in Iran.
On the basis of this agreement, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) implemented “The Study on Integrated Management for Ecosystem Conservation of the Anzali Wetland” over a period of 26 months, between February 2003 and March 2005. The study helped in developing the following activities:
1) Development of an integrated Master Plan for the conservation of the Anzali Wetland,
2) Implementation of pilot activities, some of the prevention measures identified in the Master Plan; and
3) Assistance for capacity development of the staff from concerned organizations to build up co-ordination mechanisms for overall wetland management.
As a next step, the Government of the I.R. Iran asked the Government of Japan to consider a technical cooperation for implementing the main components suggested in the Master Plan. In response to this request, the Government of Japan initiated the “Anzali Wetland Ecological Management Project” in November 2007, which was implemented by the Department of the Environment and supported by JICA’s Expert Team.
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| Mr Komano (left) and Mr Saadati |
In July 2011, the first Anzali Wetland Management Committee meeting was chaired by the Governor of the Guilan Province, with the participation of the Japanese Ambassador.
Anzali Wetland Management Committee’s main mission is to facilitate the improvement of planning, co-ordination, conservation and management within the Anzali Wetland. The main objective is to achieve sustainable wise use of the wetland.
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| Signing of the Anzali Declaration |
Representatives from the Department of the Environment in Iran and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) intend to present the Anzali Declaration and the progress on the project activities at the 11th meeting of the Contracting Parties, to be held in Romania in June 2012.
Report sent by the JICA Expert Team for the Anzali Wetland Ecological Management Project