Wetlands are ecosystems in which water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life. A broad definition of wetlands includes both freshwater and marine and coastal ecosystems, such as all lakes and rivers, underground aquifers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands, peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, mangroves and other coastal areas, coral reefs, and all human-made sites such as fishponds, rice paddies, reservoirs, and saltpans.

The Conservation of Iranian Wetlands Project (CIWP) has been instrumental in supporting wetland restoration efforts in Iran since 2005, introducing the ecosystem approach and establishing a new management framework.

In 2014, with the generous contribution of the People and Government of Japan, and in collaboration with the Department of Environment, UNDP through the CIWP, has renewed its mission to enhance Iran’s wetland ecosystems, specifically focusing on Lake Urmia. This phase emphasized local community participation in sustainable land and water management, as well as biodiversity conservation activities.