The 33rd Steering Committee meeting of the Conservation of Iranian Wetlands Project was held in Tehran on 5 October 2026, with the participation of representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Department of Environment (DoE), ministries, national and provincial executive bodies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders. The meeting was chaired by Ahmad Reza Lahijanzadeh, Deputy Head of the Marine Environment and Wetlands Department and National Project Director.
At the meeting, Lahijanzadeh first provided an overview of the key activities being implemented under the Conservation of Iranian Wetlands Project. He also shared the good news that Lake Gahar had been added to the list of Wetlands of International Importance and designated under the Ramsar Convention.
Following this, Mehri Asnaashari, National Project Manager of the Conservation of Iranian Wetlands Project, presented a comprehensive report on the achievements, results, and implementation progress of the Project’s activities in 2026. The activities and results were reviewed under the Project’s three main components. Given the importance of scaling up the Project’s achievements and approaches, particular emphasis was also placed on expanding the Project’s approach at the national level, as well as the Project’s vision and plans in this regard. This section covered cooperation with local implementers, the development of livelihood groups, capacity-building workshops, the development of new livelihoods, contracting, activities carried out by local implementers, and some of the activities and techniques applied to promote the adoption of sustainable agriculture.
The meeting was conducted in an interactive manner, allowing participants to share their views, questions, and concerns regarding the implementation of the Project’s activities. Representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also shared their perspectives, emphasizing the importance of taking existing capacities and challenges in wetland conservation into account, as well as the need to further strengthen the role of NGOs in this area.
Then, Ahmad Reza Lahijanzadeh, referring to the project’s small scale, highlighted the effective role of cooperation with the Department of Environment and non-governmental organizations in wetland conservation and emphasized the need for greater cooperation from the Marine and Wetlands Deputy Department in this regard.
Alireza Mohammadi, UNDP Programme Analyst, noted that the project is progressing well and expressed hope that the ongoing activities would continue to advance successfully during the final two years of this phase. He also noted that the project document had been developed in collaboration with the Government and approved by the project’s funding partner, and emphasized that efforts would be made to remain committed to the provisions and commitments set out in the document.
Levan Bouadze, UNDP Resident Representative in Iran, also referred to the scale of the Project and emphasized the need to maintain realistic expectations regarding project outcomes. He described the successful implementation of activities in the pilot areas as an indication that effective wetland conservation measures are feasible, and stressed the importance of building on these experiences and transforming them into models that can be applied at the national level.
The Steering Committee meetings of the Conservation of Iranian Wetlands Project provide a platform for reviewing project implementation, presenting progress reports, exchanging views among stakeholders, and receiving and considering feedback and recommendations. Such meetings can play an important role in refining and improving the implementation of the Project’s activities.
