The World Wetlands Day Commemoration Ceremony Was Held
The World Wetlands Day commemoration ceremony was held on 2 February 2026, organized by the Department of Environment with the support of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, at the Shahid-e Mohit-e Zist International Conference Center. |
The ceremony was attended by Dr. Mohammad Reza Aref, First Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Dr. Shina Ansari, Vice President and Head of the Department of Environment; Dr. Hassan Fartousi, Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO; and Dr. Hassan Babaei, Head of the State Organization for Registration of Deeds and Properties. Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Forests, Rangelands and Watershed Management Organization of Iran, the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, relevant specialized institutions, environmental experts, and a number of environmental activists also participated in the event.
The ceremony honored Iran’s historic status as the birthplace of the Ramsar Convention and emphasized the importance of conserving wetlands as among the country’s most important natural ecosystems. Participants also examined the challenges posed by climate change, the water crisis, limited water resources, and their consequences for the condition of the country’s wetlands.
Other key topics highlighted at the conference included securing environmental water allocations for wetlands, integrated watershed management, strengthening intersectoral coordination among relevant institutions, and ensuring the effective participation of local communities in the sustainable conservation of wetlands. In this context, the use of Indigenous and traditional knowledge alongside modern methods and technologies was identified as a key approach.
The event also addressed the designation of new sites for inclusion on the List of Wetlands of International Importance, the issuance of ownership documents for wetlands in the name of the State, intelligent wetland monitoring, and the use of existing legal frameworks in higher-level policy documents, particularly the Seventh Development Plan Act. The ceremony concluded with an emphasis on continuing efforts in this field, strengthening Iran’s regional role, and planning specialized and international events related to wetland conservation.
It is worth noting that 2 February, marking the anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention in 1971, is observed internationally as World Wetlands Day. The Convention encompasses an extensive network of wetlands of international importance across countries worldwide.
