Evaluation of Anzali Wetland Depth Changes Using Satellite Images and Meteorological Data over Thirty Years

In recent decades in Iran, due to the effect of climate change and population growth, the extent and depth of water in wetlands have been largely decreased. Therefore, it is worth finding the main reasons of the changes and if possible to reduce the rate of changes. Great advances in remote sensing technology offer valuable opportunities to monitor the trend of changes in natural environment. Landsat satellites from 1970s has the largest archive of remote sensing images. Remote sensing images provide data in wide area with high temporal resolution with low cost. Anzali Wetland is one of the most important international wetlands of Iran which has been registered in Ramsar Convention. In recent decades, population growth and expansion of cities and farm lands near Anzali wetland, climatic changes in this region and also changes in Caspian Sea’s water level changes, this wetland is going to be drained. The present study investigates wetland depth changes using Landsat imagery. Furthermore the depth changes have been thoroughly explained concerning rain fall, temperature and the Caspian Sea’s water level changes over a 30-year period from 1988 to 2018. Our Findings emphasizes that the depth of water depth in this wetland is more related to the changes of the Caspian Sea’s water level and the rainfall and temperature are not the main reason of decreasing of wetland.