Iran, international community sign document to revive Hamoun wetland

Tehran (IP) -The National Wetlands Conservation Project manager said that the project 'Promoting comprehensive natural resources management to revitalize the wetland ecosystem and support livelihoods for local communities in Hamoun wetlands' was signed between the Iranian Department of Environment and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Iran Press /Iran News: Ali Arvahi noted that the project aims to address the role of Hamoun wetland in people's lives, as well as the issue of protecting the wetland and improving the living standards of the local people.

The National Wetlands Conservation Project manager explained that the project is to be implemented for five years and has the financial support of the European Union, adding: "Perhaps this project will be an opportunity to implement new ideas of living options as a pilot, and then the government will generalize them on a larger-scale if they were successful.”

Ali Arvahi went on to add that the project aims to reduce the pressure on the resources of Hamoun wetlands and at the same time help strengthen the cross-border connection of the wetland with the neighboring country of Afghanistan.

"Perhaps it will be an opportunity to strengthen and expand the relationship between Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the neighboring country of Afghanistan so that the issue of allocating trans-territorial waters can be better implemented," he added.

The National Wetlands Conservation Project manager referred to the climate change adaptation, saying: "Iran is a dry and semi-arid country and we have limited water resources. Therefore, adapting to life in a changing climate is very important. In this project, the issue of agriculture is considered as one of the branches of activity, which means that we can adapt this sector to the climate as much as possible."

Hamoun wetland is the third-largest body of water after the Caspian Sea and Lake Urmia in Iran and the seventh-largest lake in the world.

Hamoun wetland is made up of three smaller lakes called Hamoun-e Puzak, Hamoun-e Saberi and Hamoun-e Hirmand. When these lakes rise, they form a single wetland called Hamoun. This wetland is located in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. Hirmand River is the main source of water emptying into it.

Hamoun wetland was measured at 5,660 square kilometers. Some 3,820 square kilometers of the wetland is located in Iran and the rest is in Afghanistan. However, the wetland is dependent on the Helmand River, and this dependence has caused any fluctuations in its water level to cause problems for the entire system.

Hamoun wetland was registered by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve in the Fourth World Congress on Biosphere Reserves, which was held in Peru's capital, Lima, on March 2016.

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