Developing Wetland Management Framework Based on Ecological Approach (Case Study: Anzali International Wetland)

lack of enough attention to the public participation is the most reason for the deficiency of wetland ecosystem management. Managing wetlands based on ecological approach defined as  “taking all the key elements and indicators in long-term management of an ecosystem and also as an integrated management strategy, promotes the conservation and sustainable use of resources with the participation of all stakeholders and the active participation of people, local communities in particular”. The purpose of this study is to present a management framework in the Anzali International Wetland with an ecological approach, applied for the first time.

This study is a descriptive-analytical study based on available data. The World Conservation Union has incorporated 12 principles into five categories in this study developed for Anzali Wetland as the study area. Gephi software was used for stakeholders’ network analysis too.

The results showed the developed framework in this study is comprised of seven main sections: Pre-planning, Scoping, Analysis, Planning, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation. Each of thes mentioned sections has related elements. In stakeholders’network analysis individuals are represented as nodes and connections as edges of the graph that shows the linkage between stakeholders.

The main stakeholders should have participated in the ecological management of the wetland including: Governmental Organizations, Non-governmental Organizations, Local Communities, Judiciary, and Legislature. In this study, the initial stages of the developed framework were implemented including pre-planning, scoping, and some parts of the analysis. Afterwards, the identified stakeholders, at consideration of verified and modified information obtained from the previous three steps, formulate a joint implementation, monitoring and evaluation plan in the participatory workshops. It is also recommended to apply the developed framework in other wetlands and common natural resources, especially protected areas, in accordance with the legal duties of the Department of Environment (DoE).