The City of Varzaneh, in the east of Isfahan province, was accredited as a Ramsar Wetland City.

The announcement was made at the 14th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from November 5 to 13.

The Wetland City Accreditation scheme will encourage cities in close proximity to and dependent on wetlands.Urbanization is one of the key defining mega-trends of our time. It is transforming where and how people will live in the future. Four billion people, about half of the world’s population live in urban areas today. By 2050 that number is expected to increase as more people move into cities.

Over the last few years, the officials, various groups of people, and environmentalists decided to propose global registration of Varzaneh city to preserve and protect the international wetland of Gavkhuni.

On November 10, the certificate of wetland city accreditation was officially handed over to the mayor of Varzaneh, Hamed Akhgar.

The relationship between the international Gavkhuni wetland and the livelihood of the people of Varzaneh is a point that now only the stability of the water flow in the life-giving river of Zayandehrud can maintain.

Except for the city of Varzaneh, the city of “Bandar Khamir” near the Khorkhoran International Wetland in Hormozgan province, this year was recognized and introduced as the first wetland city in Iran by the Ramsar Convention.

Wetland City Accreditation scheme

The 172 Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands have agreed to the conservation and wise use of wetlands in their territories.

Recognizing the importance of cities and urban wetlands, the Convention has introduced a Wetland City accreditation scheme (Resolution XII.10).

This voluntary scheme provides an opportunity for cities that value their natural or human-made wetlands to gain international recognition and positive publicity for their efforts.

The Wetland City Accreditation scheme will encourage cities in close proximity to and dependent on wetlands, especially Wetlands of International Importance, to highlight and strengthen a positive relationship with these valuable ecosystems, for example through increased public awareness of wetlands and participation in municipal planning and decision-making.

The Accreditation scheme should further promote the conservation and wise use of urban and peri-urban wetlands, as well as sustainable socio-economic benefits for local people.