Safeguarding Iran’s wetlands through culture-based solutions

Ab-bandaans, a type of wetland, are one of the most important ecosystems in Iran. These wetlands serve as vital environments for the protection of biodiversity, indigenous culture, and related environmental and economic functions. In Northern Iran, these distinct wetland sites have been managed based on traditional knowledge for centuries. Currently, 2,208 ab-bandaans cover a total area of 32,000 hectares. In 2019, over 4,500 community members from the villages of Ramnet and Aghuzben partnered with the Small Grants Programme through the Global Support Initiative to territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities (ICCA-GSI) on a project to document wetland biodiversity, traditional conservation knowledge and practices, and the factors leading to biodiversity loss. Read more HERE.

 Photo: SGP/UNDP IRAN