R.k!!SAR CONVENTION MONITORING PROCEDURE

REPORT NO.26

WETLViDS OF THE SEISTAN BASIN. SOUTH CASPIAN AYD FARS ISLAMIC REPZBLIC OF IIVIN

CONTENTS

General Introduction Implementation of the Ramsar Convention

in the Islamic Republic of Iran - general Background to the application of the Monitoring Procedure

in the Islamic Republic of Iran - Wetlands of the Seistan basin - Wetlands in the South Caspian - Wetlands in Fars

Organization of the Monitoring Procedure mission Wetlands of the Seistan basin:

- General - Hamoun-e-Saberi and Hamoun-e-Helmand - Hamoun-e-Puzak, south end

Current situation and management problems Changes in waterfowl populations Recommendations

Wetlands in the South Caspian: - Sea level rise in the Caspian - Anzali Mordab complex

Current situation and management problems Changes in waterfowl populations Recommendations

- Miankaleh Peninsula, Gorgan Bay and Lapoo-Zaghmarz Ab-bandan

Current situation and managemen: problems Changes in waterfowl populations Recommenda:lons

- Bandar Kiashahr and mouth of Sefid Rud Current situation and management problems Recommenda:ions

- Amirkelayeh Recommendations

- Fereydun Kenar Recommexiations

Wetlands in Faxs: - Neiriz Lakes (Tashk and Bakhteganj

and Kamjar. ?iarshes Current sitt:a:ior. and mar.agemez: problems Changes in 5:aterfowl pcpulaclons Recommendations

- Lake Parlshan and Dash:-e-Arjan Current sircation and lranagemen: problems

I Changes in waterfowl population:, _ Recommendations

l- 7

8- 11

12 - 17 18 19.

20 - 22

23 24- 25 26 - 27 28 - 37 38 - 40

41

42 - 46 47

48 - 49 55 - 58

59

60 - 62 63 - 66 67 - 68

69 70 - 71

72 73

74 - 76 77

78 - 81 82

83 - 85 86 - 89 90 - 91

92 93 - 95 96 - 97

98 99

R+S.::R COWESTIO?; MOSITORING PROCEDL'RZ

REPORT X0.26

WETL4NDS OF THE SEISTAN BASIN. XXTH C.4SPIAN AND FARS IS!~YIC REPUBLIC OF TRW

General Introduction

1. Each Contracting Party to the Ramsar Convention ("Conven:ion on Letlands of international impo riance especially as waterfowl habitat", Ramsar, 1971) "shall designate suitable wetlands within its territory for inclusion in a Lis: of Vetlands of International importance" (Article 2.1 of the Convention). The Contracting

Farties "shall designa:e at leas: one wetland to be included in the List" (Article 2.4) and "shall formulate and implement their planning so as to promo:e the conservation of the wetlands included in the List" (Article 3.1). Furthermore, each Contracting Party "shall arrange to be informed at the earliest possible time if the ecological character of any wetland in its territory and included ir the List has changed, is changing, or is likely to change as the result of :echnological developments, pollution or other human. interference. Information on such changes shall be passed without delay to the organization or goverrzent responsible for continuing bureau du:ies" (Article 3.2).

2. These are the principal stipulations of the Convention concerning wetlands included in the Ramsar List. Successive meetings of the Conference of the Contracting Par:ies (held in 1980 at Cagliari,

Italy; in 1984 at Groningen, Ke:herlands; in 1987 at Regina; Canada; and in 1990 at Montreux, Switzerland) have devoted special attention to the conservation of 1is:ed wetlands and to the best ways of avoiding "change in ecological character".

3. Conference Document C.3.6 of the Regina meeting ("Review of national reports submitted by Contracting Parties and Review of i,mplementation of the Convention since the second meeting in Groningen, Netherlands in May 1984") lnciuded a section (paragraphs 66 to 107) entitled "Changes in the ecological character of listed wetlands". This section recalled that it was "essential :hat, after a we:land has been designated for :he List, its conservation status should be main:ained", and that "the concep: of prcven:ing 'change in ecological character' is fundamentiil to the Ramsar Convention". Paragraphs 7L; to 107 reviewed the 29 wetlands on the Lis: where such c'nanges had occurred, were occurring, or were likely to occur.

4. During the discussion of these paragraphs, several delegates emphasized the importance of avoiding c hanges of this kind and the Conference approved a Recommcndstion (c.3.9) on this matter. The Recommendation urged Contracting Parties to take swift and effec:ivc action to prcver.: a:?~ furLher degradation of sites and to restore, as far as possible, the vaiue of degraded sites; the Recommendation requested Parties in whose :erritory vere located :he 29 sites identified as having incurred or being threatened by change, to

to :he Conven:ion Bureau the ac:ions under:aken to safeguard

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9. Following the profound changes in Its instl:utional structures in recent years, iran has maintained its close involvement in the

work of the Ramsar Convention. The Department of the Environment

remains the Adrzinistrative Authori:y responsible for implementing the Convention in Iran. Delega:ions from the Islamic Republic took part in the meetings of :he Conference of the Contracting Parties in 1984, 1987 and 1990. Iran accepted the Paris Protocol to amend the convention in 1986, thereby helping to bring these amendments into force before the Regina conference. (However, Iran has no: yet accepted the additional amendments adop:ed at the Extraordinary Conference in Regina in 1987). In 1988, 1990 and 1991, Iran made financial contributions to the Ramsar budget. At

Montreux in 1990, Iran was elected Ai:ernate Representative for the Asian region on the Ramsar S:anding Committee, and has since then been active in regional Ramsar issues and in the preparation of the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Con:racting Parties, to be held at an Asian venue - Kushiro in Japan - in 1993.

10. Yhe Ramsar Bureau is contacting the Iranian autiorities separately about the various administra:ive iss::es raised in :he course of the Ramsar missicn's visit to Iran.

11. As will be .clear from the later techr.ical sections of'the present report, Iranian specialists have continued to carry out scientific and technical research and monitoring at Iranian wc:lands, and in particular have contributed to the international midwinter censuses of waterfowl coordinated by :he International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau (IWRB), which provide essential technical and scientific support for the application of the convention. At the seminar on wetlands and waterfowl of south and west Asia, held'.in Pakistan in December 1991, the Iranian delegation'announced plans for ambitious new surveys of Iranian wetlands.

Background to the aDDlication of the Yonitcrine Procedure in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

12. Wetlands of the Seistan basin. Two sites in Seistan were designated for the Ramsar List in 1975. T'he smaller, Hamoun-e-Puzak, covers 10,000 ha and a much greater area of the lake is in Afghan territory. The larger Ramsar site in Seistan, Hamoun-e-Saberi and Hamoun-e-Helmand, covers some 50,000 ha, and aiso ex:ends into Afghanis:an. In mar.y cases tie Iranian authorities have referred to both :ogether simply as "Hamoun Lake".

13. As early as May 1985, the Iranian aL:iori:ies irformed IGXB about difficulties in maintaining the ecological character of the Seistan wetlands. The Assls:an: Prize !-linister and Direc:or of the Departmen: of :he Environmen: informed I'n'RB of the sitcation

bY telephone, and later confimed this by a :elrx message. Ttte message read as follows:

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17.

It explained :hat the reason for this was the construction of two dams in Afghanistan OR :he river supplying the lake with water. The delega:ion referred to Article 5 of the Convention which required :hat Contracting Parties consult with each o:her in the case of wetlands or water systems shared by Contracting Parties. While acknowledging that Afghanistan was not a Contracting Party, the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran reques:ed that the 3ureau take all possible action to promo:e the restoration of the ecological balance of the lake."

Tlne Iranian report to the 1990 Montreux Conference again referred to difficulties in maintaining the ecological character of the Seistan wetlands. After recalling the terms of the report presented at Regina, it noted that no progress nad been made at the Seistan Ramsar sites and called for urgent action. Montreux document C.4 .?8 suggests tha: the two Seistan Ramsar sites were likely to undergo change in ecological character and includes them among the 44 si:es on the Montreux Record; :hey became as a result, as noted in paragraphs 5 6 6 above, prime candidates for application of the Monitoring Procedure, approved by recommendation C.4.8.

18. Wetlands in the South Caspian: Four wetlands in the South Caspian have been designated by Iran for the Ramsar Lis,:; they are, from west to east, Anzali Mordab, Amirkelayeh, Bandar Kiashahr and Miankaleh. The Iranian report to the 1984 Groningen Conference did not mention any change of ecological character at these sites, but 'indicated :hat the area of Miankaleh was 40 000 hectares (and not 100,000 hectares, as originally designa:ed) Although the report to the Regina and Mon:reux Conferences made no special reference to problems inmaintaining the ecological character of Miankaleh, it was felt appropriate that the Ramsar mission should visit the Caspian region in order to see the current state of the four Ramsar sites and in particular to investigate any effects on these wetlands of the well-docmented rise in level of the Caspian Sea.

19. Wetlands of Fars. Two wetlands in the province of Fars figure on

the Ramsar Lis:: Lake Parishan and Dash:-e-Arjan; and Seiriz Lakes and Kamjan Marshes. The Iranian report to the Regina Conference indicated (Proceedings, page 479) tha: "Kamjan marshes in the western par: of Lake h'eiriz have been deleted from the List because of the drought and also urgent na:ional interest and requirement". E 0 x e v e r , no formal no-;cica:ion cf deletion or of C^&& the designation of other site in compensation was received by the Ramsar Bureau. Regina docurnen: C.3.6 therefore included Kamjan among :he 29 sites where change in ecological charac:er seemed likely to occur (paragraph 107, Proceedings page 217. see paragraphs 3 6 4 above). A: the Regina Conference, the Iranian national report again referred to the dele:io:l of Kamjan Marshes from the Racsar List and therefore. following disc~~ssion of document C.L.iS, it ~8s decided to include the site among the 44 we:lands on :he 4!~~'~eux Record (see 3 ..U...-- . b- 7%.agraphs 5 & 6 above).

24.

The system iies in an extremely arid region ant. receives the great

bulk of its water from the Helmanc! (or hlrmand) River, Fara River and several smaller rivers rising in the highlands of central and northern Afghanis:an. During long periods of trough:, as occurred in the late 1960s and again in the mid-1980s, these rivers supply sufficient water to flood only the northernmost of the lakes, the Hamoun-e-Puzak, which lies almost entirely within Afghanistan. Hovever, during years of heavy rainfall, as occurred in the late 1970s and again in 1989, 1990 and 1991, the floodbaters sweep through all three lakes and overflow in:0 a vast salt waste to the sou:h-east, flushing the sal:s out of the system in the process. Xater levels in the three main lakes during the 1970s and 1980s are summarized in Appendix VI.

Hamoun-e-Saberi and Hamoun-e-Helmand. The Iranian portion of the Yamoun-e-Saberi and the northern section of the Hamoun-e-Helmand to :he south were designated as a Ransar site (covering npproxima:ely 50,000 ha) in 1975. The Hamoun-e-Saberi receives water via the Fara Rud, which flows into its northeastern sector (in Afghanistan), and also through overflow from the Hamoun-e-Puzak to the east. The Hamoun-e-Helmand receives water via the southern (Seistan) branch of.the Helmand River and through overflow from the Hamoun-e-Saberi to the north. Both lakes' formerly supported extensive growths of Phraamites, Tvpha and various rushes and sedges during periods of flooding,. but very little emergent vegetation has reappeared since the prolonged drought of the early and mid-1980s.

25. Approximately 37,000 ha of the Ramsar site lie within the Hamoun Protected Area (193,500 ha) established in 1967. This protected area includes only the main open water areas of the.two lakes and their western shorelines, and excludes the important marshes in the east. In the late 1970s, it was proposed that the.reserve be ex:ended to incorporate all of the Hamoun-e-Saberi and Hamoun-e-He1man.d marshes as well as the Iranian portion of the Hamoun-e-Puzak.. h'ew boundaries were drawn up, and indeed it is these proposed boundaries which are shown on the official Ramsar site map deposited at UKESCO at :he time of Ramsar designation. However, these ne‘3 boundaries have never been formally gazetted, and the Hamoun Protected Area remains in its original form (apart from a minor modification to the boundary in 1969).

26. Eamoun-e-Puzak. south end. The Hamoun-e-Pczak P.amsar si:e (10,000 ha) comprises the southwestern, Iranian portion of the vast Eamoun-e-Puzak we:land, the great buik of which lies to :he north and east in Afghanistan. It consists of a complex of s'hallow freshwater lakes r;i:h rich submergcnt vegetation (principally Ceratoohvllum demersum) and extensive Tvpha and ?hr;lEmi:es reed-beds. The Hamoun-e-Puzak receives mos: of its va:er from the Parian branch of -he iielmand River which enters the lake in two distributaries, one in the nor:h and one in the east. The Puzak is the first of the :hree hnmouns :o fill during periods of flooding, and the last to dry out during drough:s. Indeed, i: seems unlikely :hat the main ?uzak lake, some seven kms north of the Iranian border, ever dries OL: completeiv.

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32. The mission no:eti wi:h some concern :he construc:ion of a new asphalt highway across the lo-d-lying flats bet,;een the north end of the Hamoun-e-Eelmand and the south end of the Hamoun-e-Saberi. The road, which vas started about five years ago and is now nearing completicn, passes through the middle of :he Ramsar site and the Hamoun Protecied Area. Although the road passes over several bridges, free flow of vater betr;een the tvo hamouns has been impeded to some extent, with as ye: unknown effects on their hydrology and ecological character. The mission was also concerned to learn of :he cons:ruction of a new canal, between the south end of the Hamoun-e-Puzak and the Hamoun-e-Saberi, to accelerate the flow of water into the Saberi. 4gain, i: seems that no adequate environmen:al impact assessment has been carried out.

33. Other recent developments in the Iranian portion of the Seistan basin include the construction of a number of major irrigation canals taking water directly from the Helmand River and its distributaries, and the construction of a large reservoir (Chahnimeh) in the desert east of Zabol, supplied by a feeder canal from the Parian branch of the Helmand River. These structures clearly reduce the amount of water entering the

.,-wetlands, and.must have some impact-on the &logy of the system as a whole.

34. The mission was particularly concerned at :he very serious problems now being faced by :he agricultural sector as a result of increasing soil salinity. Much of the former agricultural land around Zabol has had to be abandoned because of salinity problems, and it was clear that in many other areas, the intensively irrigated fields were producing extremely low y5elds. Already there have been some problems of wind-blown salt during the summer months, and it.no-4 seems quite possible :hat the area could suffer a fate similar to that of :he region around :he Aral Sea. At the same time, there has been a grea: increase in the human population of the basin during the past decade, not only as a result of the high natural population increase (about 4% per annum), but also because of the large influx of refugees from Afghanistan. At the last census in 1989, the populati on of the Iranian por:ion of the Seistan Basin was 370,000.

35. Many of the problems of drought in the Seistan Easin have in the past been attributed to dam construction and vater diversion schemes on the Helmand River in Afgianis:an. The Kajaki Dam, built some b0 years ago, was increased in capaci:y about 20 years ago and undou*b:eCly caused a considerable reduc:ion in the amount of water reaching :he hamouns. especially during dry years. In an agreement between t'ne government of Afghanistan and former governmen: of Iran, the governmen: of Afghanistan guaranteed :o provide an average flow of 26 cubic me:res of water per second in the Helmand River entcrlng !ran. ?t is reporred, ho;lever, tha: :he Afghani acthori:ies chose to provide the allocated volume as a "lump sum" during the winter months, rather :har. as a continuous flow during the dry summer months when the Kater was most needed. I?. :r any ever.:, -- :10x seems -hat this ;igreemer:: is no longer being honoured.

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(b) The mission recommends that the boundaries of the Protected Area and Ramsar sites be cleariy demarca:ed on :he ground, eg. with concrete pillars set at a masims= of one kilometre apart and with conspicuous sign-posts at a11 major entry points.

(c) Most importantly, :he mission recommends that an integrated managemen: plan be developed for all wetland and water resources in the Seistan Basin. The development and implementation of such a plan would require the involvement of all government agencies concerned with water resources in the basin (eg. Departments of the Environment and Fisheries, Ministries of Agriculture, Jihad and Power), and would ultimately involve close cooperation with the relevan: authorities in Afghanis:an. As pointed out by the Iranian delegation at Regina (see paragraph 16 above), Article 5 of the Ramsar Convention calls for cooperation between countries with shared wa:er systems. One of the main problems in recent years has been the difficulty of communication between Iran and Afghanistan. It is to be hoped that, as a result of current developments in Afghanistan, better communications will become possible. The Ramsar Bureau should help to promote such communications and should encourage Afghanistan to join and implement the Convention.

. . "he'management 'plan'would endeavour to rationalize the use of . water resources in the basin of the !!elmand River by :aking-into account the needs of the various users (domestic and industrial water supply, agriculture, fisheries and wildlife). would be' developed to. ensure tha:

A policy. adequate supplies of water are

set aside- to maintain the ecological charac:er of the important natural wetland ecosystems. Mechanisms would be developed to ensure that, in the- design,of any future dams and other water-b 'control'structures on the Helmand and Fara Rivers, due attention is' given to all possible downstream effects. consideration would be given

In particular, full to the potential impact of any such

projects on the ecological character of the two Ramsar sites. This would involve close consultation and cooperation between all interested parties in Afghanistan and Iran. Until such time as relations between the governmen:s of Afghanistan and Iran have become normalized, informal discussions between the regional authorities on both sides of the border in the Seistan basin could continue. The Raasar Convention could perform a useful function in this regard by making preliminary contac: with the appropriate authorities in Afghanistan and the VN bodies concerned, notably LNOCA offices in Islamabad and Geneva.

A basic requisi:e for :he developmen: cf such an integrated management plan for the region would be a comprehensive ecological and socio-economic study of the wetlands and water resources of the basin. This s:udy, which won1 d build on and ex:end the ecological inves:igations conduc:cd bv :he department of the Envi ronmen: and University of Teheran- in the 198Os, would include the following:

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Wetlands in the South Casvian.

42. Sea level rise in the Caspian. Between 1866 and 1933, :he level of the Caspian Sea fluctuated between 25.3 and 26.0 metres below

sea level (see Figure 1). i;7 :he eariy 193Os, however, following the construction of several major dams on the Volga River in the

former USSR, the level s:arted to fall and this continued almost without a break (o:her than seasonal fluctuations) until 1977/78, when t'ne level had reached 28 me:res below sea level. Then began a sudden and rapid rise, averaging over 10 cm per year. By :he end of 1991, :he water had risen by approximately 1.8 metres,

bringing the level Of the Caspian Sea almost back to its level in the 1930s.

43. Although there has been considerable speculation as :o the cause of this sudden rise in sea level, it now seems certain that the rise has been deliberately engineered by :he government of the former USSR, in an effort :o restore the sea to i:s original level. Falling sea levels in the 1960s and 1973s were becoming an increasing cause of concern to fishing and shipping interests, as important fish spawning areas in coastal wetlands were drying out, and much of the very shallow northern Caspian was becoming too shallow for shipping; Two major engineering works have contributed :o :he rise in sea level: the closing of Karabogaz Bay in the east Caspian i,n 1978 (which reduced :he loss of wa:er by evaporation), and the diversion of two Siberian rivers in:o the Ural River (which increased :he inflow of fresh wa:er>. The closing of Karabogaz Bay alone is calculated to have been responsible for a rise in sea level of be:veen li0 and 45 ems.

44. A joint comm?it:ee was formed abou: two years ago by the governments of Iran and :he former USSR to discuss the problems caused by the sudden rise in sea level. The focal point for this committee in Iran is the Ministry of Power (formerly Ministry of Water and Electricity), although several other ministries and the Department of :he Environment are involved. From preliminary discussions held to date, it seems that bo:h sides agree tha: the rise in the Caspian Sea level has more positive than negative effects, and in general is to be xelconed. There seems widespread agreement that the "optimum" level fcr :he Caspian Sea is about 26 metres below sea level, ie. a ?it:le higher :han its present level. Fishery departcen:s and the shipping inclus:ry are undoubtedly benefitting from the higher level, ;nd few of the towns, por:s and coas:al installa:ions around tl-:e Caspian have been adversely affec:ed, since most were established in the early par: of :he century when the sea level r;as still high. The major losses, in economic :erms, have been in beach developmen: and tourism, especially in Iran, uhcre the rising sea level has almos: submerged the former cx:ensi\re sandy beaches, ard has caused

* 7 considerao,e damage to beach holses, ho:els and other recrea:ion facilities. Howe-er, more c!c:ailed analysis an6 Ciscsussion is clearly needed.

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48. Anzali Xordab complex. The knzali Kordab complex (to:al area 15,000 ha) comprises a large, shallow, eu:rophic, freshwater coastal lagoon with ex:ensive reed-beds, fed by several rivers and streams (including dis:ributaries of the Sefid Rud) and emptying into :he Caspian Sea via a narrow channel a: the town of Bandar

Anzali. Open water areas support ex:ensive bec!s of the water lily selumbium caspicum and a very rich growth of submerged vegetation. These are surrounded by vast beds of Phraemites australis which in places grows to six metres in height. The permanen: weiland area is surrounded by a broac: belt of flood meadows and ab-bandans (shallow impoundments ccnstructed to retain water for irriga:ion purposes during the dry summer months). Xany of the ab-bandans are utilized for duck hunting during the winter months. The duck hunters employ a traditional dazzling and hand-netting technique (ihe "net, gong and flare" method) to catch ducks and coots from a boat at night. Elsewhere in the mordab, hunting is by shot-gun.

49.

50.

The main Anzali Mordab (about 11,000 ha) is unprotected. However, Siahkesheem ?!arsh, in the large and aimost enclosed basin of the Rud-e-Esfand in the south-west, has been pro:ec:ed since 1967, ini:ially as a Protected Region of 3,515 ha, then as a Wildlife Refuge of'6,,701 ha (established in 1971), and since-the revolution as a Protected Area of 4,500 ha. In addition, one of the large ab-bandans on the southern edge of the Yordab, Selke, has been protected as a Wildlife Refuge of 360 ha since 1970; The Ramsar site enc.ompasses the, whole of the Anzali Xordab, Siahkesheem Marsh, Selke Ab-bandan and several other ab-bandans bordering the marshes.

Current 'situaiion and management nrohlems. Several major changes have occurred in the ecological character of the Anzali Mordab Complex during the past 15 years. Most striking has been the : great increase in the exten: of reed-beds, which now almost entirely cover the eastern and cen:ral poriions of the main mordab. Rapid spread of Phragmites had already become a problem in the mid 197Os, and was attributed :o falling water levels in the mordab, as a result of the :hen coniinuing fall in the level of the Caspian Sea, and accelerated eu:rophication as a result of increased inflow of domes:ic sewage, fertilizers and other organic material. The situation had become so serious by the end of the 1970s tha: the Departmen: of the Environment was investigaiing possible meihods of control. Hoh-e-.*e r , the 1.8 metre rise in :he level of :he Caspian Sea since 1976 has resulted in a one-metre rise in the water level in the main Anzali Mordab and increased salt water intrusion during :he summer months (when the level of :he Caspian is at its highest and inflow of freshwater is at its lowest). These two fac:ors, increased water depth and increased saline intrusion, are likely to check the expansion of Phrazmites in the Kordab, although there are no signs as ye: of any die-back.

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The scarcity of Coot and compleie absence of Pochard Avihva ferina from the open wa:ers of t’ne m ain mordab (open to duck shooting)

was striking, and is clearly a resul: of :he great hunting pressure in the area. This continues a trend firs: recorded in the early 197Os, when Coot numbers in Gilan fell from over 100,000

in 1972/73 to only 34,000 by 1974/75. This decline was atiributed co the extremely heavy hun:ing pressure in Gilan and the almost

continuous disturbance from hun:ers in unprotected wetlands, cspecialiy Anzali ?lordab.

56. Selke Wildlife Refuge remains impressive, but even here, numbers of waterfocl were well below the coun:s of ihe 1970s (when there were generally between 40,000 and 80,000 Anatidae present in Kid-winter). Furthermore, there is evidence of a change in species composition, with more diving ducks and Coot and fewer dabbling ducks and geese than in :he 1970s. This change is undoubtedly a result of the higher water levels in the refuge.

57. Department of the Environment personnel report a dramatic decline in the population of Purple Swamphen Porphvrio Torphvrio at Anzali ?lordab , and :his was borne ou: by :he presen: mission which failed to find any. The reasons for this deciine are puzzling, as the extent of .the species’,habitat (tall reed-beds) has’ incrdased enormously during the last decade, but may be related to the great increase in water depth and/or spread of Azo??a.

58. It was, Lowever, encouraging to find that there was still a large wintering population of the Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax Evnmeus at Anzali Mordab. At least 237 .were recorded by the present mission, a figure'that.&ompares well with the counts of the early 1970s (which ranged from 210 to 325)'. Anzali Mordab is ‘the principal winiering area,in Iran for this globally threatened species.

59. Recommendations

(a) The Ramsar mission commends the Department of the Environment on its excellent Trogramme of research in the Anzali Mordab, and recommends it be continued and extended. Some of the issues worthy of special a:tention include:

- the impact of sea- level rise on the ecology of' the wetlands;

- water pollction from domestic seuage, fertilizers and

pesticides, and the problem of eutrop1Tica:ion;

--infestation by hzolla;

- :he effecis of excessive hun:ing pressure and its associated disiurbance on wa::erfol;l populac<ons.

(b) Unless some measures are introduced to curb hunting pressure and its associa:ed distcrbance, there is a high likelihood that within a few years the once was: flocks of migra:ory waterfowl will have disappeared completely from a.11 :hose areas of the Anzali Xordab open to hun:ing for :he &e"eral public.

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63. Current situation and management problems. The rise in level of the Caspian Sea during the las: decade has resul:ed in a marked increase in the level of Gorgan Bay and re-flocding of all those bare flats at the wes: end of the bay which had been exposed by falling sea levels during ihe previous decades (see Figure 2). 01 the seaward side of Miankaleh Peninsula, the sea beach has virtually disappeared, and no longer provides easy vehicular access to the fishing village of Ashuradeh at the extreme eastern tip of the peninsula. To reach Ashuradeh by road, vehicles must now follow a rough crack through the pomegranate scrub and sand dunes, f a journey reported co iake six to seven hours as compared with only one or one and a half hours on the old beach "road". The tradi:ional access to Ashuradeh by boat across the narrow channel between the tip of the Miankaleh Peninsula and the mainland is however still available.

64. Other changes to :he Protected Area appear :o have been few, and it.is clear that the Department of Environment has continued to afford'the reserve good proiection :hroughout the pas: fifteen

years. Much of the peninsula is still heavily grazed by flocks of sheep, goats and water buffalo, but :here has been no obvious increase in the number of small farms within the reserve, and indeed.the shrubs-seem.denser and:more extensive'ihan in the. . 197ds.l; Some poaching was observed along the southwest boundary of :he reserve, but ihis was often reported here in the 197Os, and is probably not, a seri,ous,problem. .__I

65. The major threat to the area is the' pr'oposed construction of an asphalt'highway down the centre of the peninsula to provide easy access to: the fishery stations along the beach and at Ashuradeh, A highway has.already been c'onstructed up to the western boundary of the reserve, but further work has been halted following intervention by the Department of the Environment. Vhile the road itself might not have any significant impact on the-wetland ecosystems, the greatly increased access co :he reserve would inevitably.lead to increased pressure for settlement, increased farming aciivities and increased poaching. Since access to hshuradeh is still possible by the :radi:ional boa: route, :he asphalt road through the centre of the Ramsar s:te appears to be an unneccessary luxury.

66. The ecological character of Lapoo-Zaghnarz Ab-bandan appears not to have changed since the 1970s. The ab-bandan has been unaffected by rising sea level, and is r;ell managed and protected by :he owners - inhabi:an:s of the nearby village of Zaghmarz - rho u:Llize :he we:land for waterfov! hunting in winter and as a source of wa:er for irrigation during the summer months. Under an agreement with the Depar:nent of the Environmen:;, :he owners are permitted to hunt a: the ab-bandan on a masimum of three days per monih :hroughou: the hunting season. To protec: :heir interests, the owners pay a warden to prevent Poaching, ant ir fact hun: at the site on only three or four occasions per season.

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71. The Ramsar site (500 ha) includes :he whole of :he lagoon, its associated marshes and the marshes and sand-f?a:s a: the mouth of the Sefid Rud to the vest. The site has no legal protection.

72. Current situation and management problems. The rising level of the Caspian Sea has destroyed the sand barrier between the lagoon and the sea, with the result :hat the wetland is now made up of a sea bay with a broad entrance to ihe sea. The present situation is thus similar to that in the 1950s. The wetland habiiat a: ihe mou:h of the Sefid Rud is, however, reported to have remained more or less unchanged, w'hile new wetland habi:ats have been created to :he west of the river mouih, ouiside :he Ramsar siie. Department of the Environment personnel repor: :hat fewer waterfowl now utilize :he Ramsar site because of increased disturbance from fishing activities, and the small flock of Dalmatian Pelicans ?elecanus crispus which frequented the area in ihe 1970s has not been reported for some years.

73. Recommendations

(a) It is recommended tha: further investigaiions be made to assess the ecological changes which have occurred in the Ramsar

:.site, and to identify ways of reducing-the dis:urbance to'. . waterfowl from fishing activities.

74. Amirkelaveh Lake. Amirkelayeh is a raiher deep, permanent, freshwater lake with rich growth of floating and submergent vegetation and extensive fringing reed-beds of Tvpha and Phranmites.. The lake is fed by springs and local run-off and, at high water levels, drains north through a small stream into the Caspian Sea."

75. The lake and marshes were established as a Wildlife Re'fuge. (1,230 ha) in.1971, and managed as a strict naiure reserve in which all human activity was prohibited. This Wildlife Refuge comprises the Ramsar site.

76. Prior to its designation as a Yiidlife Refuge, Amirkelayeh Lake had been an important waterfowl huniing area for local villagers, who employed a :raditional clap-net:ing technique to trap ducks and Coot for the market. (This :echr.ique vas subsequently used cith considerable success by Depar:men: of the Environment personnel to trap birds for ringing). D*dring the revoluiion, local villagers bur ned dol;n the De?ar:men: of :he Environment's Game Guard S:atio:? and wa:ch tower, and re-assumed control of the lake. Duck-trapping has re-commenced. and i: is reporied that there are curren:ly some 60 teams of duck-ne:ters 0pera:ir.g at the lake. Thus , although Amirkelayeh Lake formally remains a Wildlife Refuge and Ramsar si:e, It is no longer under the control of the Department of the Envir0n:ner.t. However , some ptrsonnel of the Depar:ment of the Environment have been able to visit the si:e on an uno fficial basis CO conduct mid-win:er wa:er!owl counts, and report :ha: the ecological charac:er of :he site remains unchanged. The lake is sufficiently high above the level of the Caspian Sea to have been unaffected by the recent rise in sea level.

- 23 -

Alihough the mission only observed two adul: Siberian Cranes, it was informed fro:n several reliable sources chat at least 11 cranes

were present, including two juveniles. Thus the alarming rwnours

in early 1991 ihat four or five cranes had been sho: or'cap;ured for zoos were clearly erroneous, as nine of the :en 'birds present in the winter of 1990/1991 can siill be accounted for.

82. Recommendations

(a) Relations between the hunters of Fereydun Kenar and officials of the Department of ihe Environment remain delicate, and the mission recommends that every opportunity should be taken to improve them. A good case can be made in suppcrt of the damgah system of huniing, as it is dependen: on the maintenance of high quali:y waterfowl habitat and s:rict pro:ectior from disturbance. Only Mallard and one or two other common species of duck are netted, while a wide variety of waterfowl species benefit from the sanctuary-like conditions. By showing active suppor: for the damgah huniers, the Departmen: of the Environment migh: be able to establish a permanent presence a: ihe site (for crane protection and research), and might also work towards the abolishment of the annual shoot-out. The Department should proceed with great

. caution a&,. for the, time being, the survival of the tiny flock 'of Siberian Cranes depends on the :olerance and goodwill of the local hunters.

Wetlands'in Fars .

83. IJeiriz Lakes (Tashk and Bakhtegan) and Kamian Marshes. Lake Tashk and Lake Bakhtegan are two large salt lakes in an internal ..' drainage basin in the southern Zagros Mountains. Lake Tashk is fed by overflow from the Kamjan Marshes a: its western end and a large permanent'spring at &moon, in :he northwest. Lake Bakhtegan receives the bulk of its water from :he main channel of the Kur River, which en:ers at the wes:ern end. Wa:er levels in the lakes fluctuaie widely according to rain and snow-fall in the Zagros. In exceptionally we: years, the :wo lakes unite at their western ends to form a singie expanse of water covering about 98,000 ha, while during prolonged droughts, Lake Tashk becomes reduced to a series of shallow spring-fed pools at Gumoon and Lake Bakhtegan dries out completely.

84. Kamjan Yarshes comprise some 10,000 ha of permanent and seasonal

marshes and floodplain wetlands alcng the Kur RFver to ihe west of the Neiriz lakes. Large portions of the area formerly supported Phrazmites marsh, but drainage of the wetland for rice cultivation began as early as 1967, and already by the mid 197Os, large par:s of the marsh had been drained for agriculture.

- 25 -

The entire marsh is nor: criss-crossed ui:h canills and ditches, and much of the perm&nen: marsh vegeta:ion t.as beer1 destroyed. In Iran’s national report Regina meeting in 1987, it was reported that Kamjan Marshes had been dele:ed from :he List because of “urgent national interest and requiremen:” and had been

substituted by Chogakhor and Cnndoman Yarshes in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. This statemen: uas repeated in Iran’s na:ional report CO the Four:h Conference of the Contracting Parties in Montreux in 1990. However , no official documentation concerning this c’hange uas ever sent to UXESCO. the Convent ion’s

Depository, or to the Ramsar Bureau. Furthermcre. the Iranian Covernmen: ne\*er took the necessary f ormal steps to delete Kamjan Marshes from the Ramsar List, or to include Chogakhor and Candoman (see paragraph 19 above). Thus, at :he time of the mission’s visit, Kamjan Earshes were still officially part of :he Ramsar site.

89. Al:hough Kamjan Yarshes have been ex:ensively modified by the drainage canals, much wetland habita: remair.s including expanses of wet mud-flats, stands of Phraar?i:es and o:her emergent aquatic vegetation along canals and ditc‘nes. and large areas of rice fields. Furthermore, a large portion of the “reclaimed” land remains uncultivated,, partly becaus’e of ‘a shortage ‘of water for irrigation, and partly because of the high salt content of the soils. Some of the irrigation canals are already becoming silted

UPI and parts of the drained land are reverting to marsh.

90. changes in waterfowl populations. The present mission found both Iake Tashk and Lake Bakhtegan in excellent condition, with huge . numbers of waterfowl. The impressive concentrations of surface-feeding ducks (120,000-lLO.000) at the vestern end of Lake Lakhtegan were comparable to the concentrations recorded in the 197Os, and there was no evidence that any major change had occurred in the numbers of birds or in species composition. Very few flamingos were observed, but Department of :he Environmen: personnel had recorded the usual wintering flock of about 50,000 only a week earlier, and their disappearance could undoubtedly be attributed to the unusually severe wea:her of the previous few days. (Both lakes were par:ially frczen for :he first time for at

least a decade).

91. Despi:e the changes =hich have occurred at Kamjan ?!arhes. :he area continues to provide ideal feeding habitat for ;: varie:y of waterfowl. The mission observed large nu:-bers cnf Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, Ruff Philomachus nucnas. Glossy Ibis Plepadis falcinellus and k’hite Stork Ciconia ciconia flighting out of the marshes in :he evening :o roost on :he m:d-flats at the western end of Lake Tashk, and a!so o’-,served sowe daxks and geese

flighting into the marshes from the lake at 6,~s; I: seems likel) tha: the marshes continue :o consti:*J:e an i-por:ant feeding area for large nllmbers of ducrts u’~.ict-. spend :i.e dav roos:;r.g on La’ke Bakhtcgcn and !A>.(, Tashk.

- 27 -

93. Lake Parishan and Dasht-e-Arian. Lake Parishan and Dasht-e-Arjan are two very different we:lands si: uated only some 15 km apart in the Arjan Protected Area in the southern Zagros Mountains. Lake Parishan, set a: 825 metres above sea level in a broad valley between Zagros ranges, is a fresh :o brackish or even saline lake in a closed drainage basin fed by several small rivers and a number of permanent springs. During the dry years of the early 197Os, water levels were low, :he lake was brackish to saline, marsh vegetation was confined to the western and eastern ends of the lake near freshwater inflows, and there were large areas of bare salt flats in the southwes:ern bay. In recent years, however, water levels have remained high; the water is now almost fresh, there are very extensive reed-beds of Phrapmites and Typha in many parts of the lake.

94. Dasht-e-Arjan lies in an enclosed basin at 1,950 metres above sea level in the high Zagros. The wetland comprises a shallow freshwater lake wi:h extensive Phragmites reed-beds at its northern end. I: is fed by several large springs and local run-off, and drains out through a series of swallow holes at the south end.. Much of the wetland freezes over in winter, and deep snow cover is not unusual. Open L;ater areas may dry out '. completely,.,during dry‘ summers,. but the spring-fed marshes remain wet throughout the year. As at Lake Parishan, good rainfall in recent years has resulted in a considerable expansion in the area covered,by tall reeds. '. ', ._

'_. '. . .: 'I ._

95. Lake Parishan 'and Dash:-e-Arjan lie within the Arjan reserve,.' established'as a National: Park of 65,750 ha in 1973,. .The original plans' to:,e:sta-blish the reserve as an international. park (under.the control of an international committee) were:never.implemented, and following'*the revolution, the reserve was downgraded-to Protected Area and reduced in size.to 52,800 ha. The- Ramsar site is in two parts, and.,comprises only the wetlands: Lake Parishan (4,200 ha) and Dashtie-Arjan (2;400 ha).

96. Current situation and management problems. Lake Parishan remains in excellent condition. Following a series of wet years, the reed-beds are now much more extensive than at any time in the 197Os, and the water would appear to be almost fresh. Some 20

hectares of marsh at the extreme ncrthwes: corner of the lake were drained for agricul:ure by the Ministry of Jihad shortly after the revolution, but no other wetland habitat has been destroyed. There has been some development-of aquaculture on :he plains to the west of the lake, and it is reported tha: t!:ree species of carp have been introduced into the lake. There has been a considerable increase in fishing activities, and the widespread use of ou:board motor boa:s by the fis'nermen (instead of the traditional reed boats) has resul: ed in much more disturbance to raterfowl populations. Poaching rema Ins a problem, and there are reports that significan: numbers cf Kz:erfcwl are accidentally killed in fishing nets.

- 29 -

(c) The mission recommends that any fur:her drainage of marshes at Lake Parishan be stric:ly prohibited, and that the possible negative impacts of the present drainage ditch from the northwest corner of the lake be investigated.

Cd) The mission recommends that studies be carried out on the changes which are taking place in the aquatic vegetation at Lake Parishan. Eutrophication may become a problem in the future, especially if this is being accelerated by inflow of domestic sewage and fertilizers, and some control of the spread of ?hrap_mi:es may become necessary.

(e) The mission recommends that the problem of increased disturbance from fishing activities at Lake Parishan be investigated. A possible solution might be the establishment of one or more no-fishing zones.

(f) The mission recommends that :he Department of the Environment's current plans to establish a Gues: House on a peninsula overlooking the western part of Lake Parishan be modified to include provision for day visitors !eg. by providing informative exhibits, picnic areas and nature trails). The location of the Game Guard Station would be an ideal site for a Visitor Centre for day visitors to the lake. The mission recommends that contacts be established with wetlands in other. countries where visitor centres of this kind have been .. established.

:. . .

(g) The mission recommends..the investigation of the possibility of re-routing the high-tension power lines across the Ramsar site at Dasht-e-Arjan, as these severely compromise the scenic-beauty and naturalness of the area, and may cause considerably mortality to waterfowl.

Other potential Ramsar sites in Iran

100. The mission held discussions with personnel of the Department of the Environment concerning the possibility of designating additional sites for the Ramsar List. Five sites were considered to be especially suitable for designation.

101. Gomishan Harshes. Mazandaran Province. In the 197Os, the Gomishan wetlands consisted of a chain of f;arroE, brackish lagoons behind the Caspian Sea beach, stretching fro:n :he :own of Gomishan north to the border wi:h Turkmenistan. In the eas:, t'ne wetlands bordered on a vast area of lov -lying plains with halophy:ic vegetation. The recent dramatic rise in the level of the Caspian Sea has resulted in extensive flooding of these plains, with the result that the Gomishan Harshes now comprise a large area of shallow, brackish lagoons and marshes many times larger in size t17an was the case in the 1970s. iiuge numbers of waterfowl have been recorded at these wetlands in recent years (eg. 95,000 in 1988/89, 57,000 in 1989/90 and 215,000 in 1990/91), including concentrn:iozs of several hundred 3alma:ian "elicans. ?art of the wetland is now pro:ected as a Ko-i-lun:ing Area, and there are plans to upgrade t:hls to Protcc:cd Area within five years.

- 31 -

The Pardisan Environmental Theme Park. Teheran

107. The mission paid a brief visit to the site of the Pardisan ("Paradise") Environmental Theme Park in the suburbs of Teheran, in the company of officials of the Department of the Environment and of park staff. The project, situated in a prime site covering over 200 hectares and ideal for attracting large numbers of the inhabitants of the capital (who now number some 12 million), aims

to present open air exhibits illustrating the various biomes of the world. The project, still in its first stages of development, represents a major effort to educate the people of Iran on environmental issues, and as such is the Department of the Environment's largest current project in terms of budget.

108. The mission recommends that special effort be given to feature wetlands in the various exhibits and that contacts be established with educational establishments and experts in other countries that have experience in such projects: such establishments and individuals could provide considerable assistance in the field of training.

General recommendations

109. . Better vublicitv for the Convention and for existinh Ramsar sites. ,.It is,recommended that much greater publicity be given to

the-significance of- Iran's Ramsar sites, both generally in the national med'ia and specifically on the ground at each site. The boundaries of each Ramsar site should be clearly demarcated with appropriate sign-boards, and whenever possible there should be an open-air exhibit or small visitor centre at the..site explaining _ the Ramsar.Convention,. its relevance to Iran and.the.importance of Ramsar sites. Publicity should be aimed at improving'the general public's awareness of the need for wetland conservation. :.

110. Avplication of the Ramsar Monitorinpr Procedure at other Ramsar sites. The mission recommends that a further mission be organized under the Ramsar Monitoring Procedure in collaboration with the Department of the Environment, perhaps in 1993. The mission understood from discussions with Department personnel that no significant changes had occurred in the ecological character at most other Ramsar sites in Iran. However, the mission was informed of existing or potential problems at the following four sites:

(a) Yadeaarlu: there have been reports of wetland drainage for agriculture in this sector of the Ramsar site of Shurgol, Yadegarlu and Dorgeh Sangi Lakes in Azerbaijan.

(b) AlaEol. Ulmacol and Ai igol Lakes: it is reported that this Ramsar site on the Turkoman Steppes is increasingly being disturbed by hunters.

- 33 .

114. Assessment of annual hunting harvest of waterfowl in the South Casoian ret' 10n: In 1975, personnel of the Department of the Environmen: cond,acted a major survey of waterfowl hunting activities in the South Caspian region. This included a review of hun:ing activities and :echniques, an es:inate of the total numbers of birds hunted each season, and an assessment of the importance of market hunting in :he economy of the region. The survey was conducted r;ith :he aid of questionnaires, and involved many of the Department's field staff in its Gilan and Mazandaran offices. It concluded that the total annual harvest of Anatidae and Coots in the South Caspian region was approximately three million birds.

115. It is recommended that the Departmenz of the Environment conduct a similar survey as soon as possible, to assess changes in hunting practices and harvesting levels in reiation to changes in *Laterfowl popcla:ions (which will be determined from the analysis of waterfowl count data proposed in paragraph 113). The survey should ga:her information on the following subjects:

- number of licensed hunters; - approximate number of illegal hun:ers; - methods of hunting and success rates; - extent of illegal hunting methods (eg. flight nets): - frequency and times of hunting; - approximate numbers of birds killed according to .specie$ and

method of hun:ing; - extent of market hunting and its importance in the local economy; - extent of,sport hunting.

116.

117.

118.

The results of such a survey,would provide.the Department with a sound basis for the future management of waterfowl hunting in the South Caspian. It would provide the information necessary to . assess the advantages and disadvantages of various hunting techniques, thereby enabling the Department to give greater support to thbse systems which are least harmful to waterfowl populations, while at the same time adopting stricter measures to control wasteful and indiscriminate hunting practices.

The Department of the Environment should also consider conducting a study of the use of lead she: in :he South Caspian region and the potential problem of lead-poisoning amongst waterfowl. Lead-poisoning has become a serious prcblem at many heavily shot-over wetlands In Europe, and has recen:ly been the subject of a number of detailed investiga:ions. A considerable amount of information on this subjec: (including a video presentation) is available from ILX3.

Disease con:rol at Ghara Gheshlao Marshes and Kaftar Lake. In recent years, large-scale die-offs of waterfovdl have been reported during the breeding and migration seasons at :wo impor:ant wetlands in Ir an: Ghara Geshlaq in Azerbaijan and Kaftar Lake in Fsrs. At Ghora Gheshlaq, as many as iO3.000 wa:erfowl are believed 'co have died in a single yea:-. while at Kaftar Lake, the annual mortali:y may be as high as 10 030. The problem was first noticed a: Ghara Cheshlaq in the early 1980s. and was reported to the Third Conference of the Con:racti:lg Far-ties in Regina in 1987.

- 35 -

123. If the proposed Pakistan workshop proves to be a success, a second workshop could be arranged in Iran in :he following year, to allow muc'n greater participation by personnel of :he Department of the Environment. The Ramsar Convention Bureau will pursue this concept in collaboration with the organizers in Pakistan, and will keep the Department of Environment informed of developments.

124. Development of wetland exhibits a: Pardisan. Considerable expertise exists in Europe, h'orth America and other parts of the world in the development of wetland-rela:ed fea:ures and conservation education activ ities in recreation areas, zoos, waterfowl collections and safari parks. Nowhere has such expertise been developed more fully :han a: The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in the United Kingdom. The Trust's main centre, at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire (also the home of IWXB), consists of one of the world's largest waterfowl collections, adjacent to an important waterfowl refuge (which is also a Ramsar site). The centre includes a wide range of facilities for day visitors, including educational exhibi:s, classrooms, lecture hall, shop and restaurant, and attracts over half a million paying visitors each

year. Many of the facilities.and activities at Slimbridge would be eminently suitable for development at Pardisan. Itis. therefore recommended that senior personnel.of.the:Pardisan Theme Park, especially those involved in the.development of the wetland and waterfowl exhibits, should visit The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust on a study tour to view the range of activities being carried out there, and to investigate the possibility of employing Trust personnel on 'a consultancy basis in the development of certain aspects of Pardisan.

125. Studv tours for senior personnel of the Department of the Environment: In addition to visi:s to Slimbridge and of course to other suitable locations, notably in the Netherlands or Spain, by personnel from Pardisan, it is, recommended that senior managerial s.taff of the D,epar:ment of the Environment's Teheran and provincial offices participate in one or more short study'tours '(each of two weeks' duration) to appropriate wetland institutions, wetland reserves, Ramsar sites and managed waterfowl hunting areas in one or more countries in Europe. Such tours would give the participants an opportunity :o view recen: developments in wetland and waterfowl conservation in Europe, and to exchange ideas and information with their counterparts in the field. The Ramsar Convention Bureau would be happy to assist in designing such tours.

- 37 -

4. ?Jo delisting of existinF Ramsar sites and designation of new isites.

The mission recommends that the boundaries of all existing Ramsar sites be retained as originally designated, and that as far as possible new Ramsar sites be designated at one or more of the five important wetlands identified as being particularly suitable for IListing (see in particular paragraphs 92e, 101-106 and 112).

The Ramsar Convention Bureau will be happy to assist the Department of the Environment and other authorities in Iran in the implementation of these and the other recommendations in this report, and would welcome an opportunity to visit Iran again in the near future to consider further possibilities for collaboration.

Ashiq Ahmad Khan Derek Scott Michael Smart

March 1992

TABLE 1. SUMMARY OF WATERFOWL COUNTS AT RAMSAR, SITES: JANUARY 1992

C5luI.ulns

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. ? t . 8. 9. 10. Il.

Hmffoun-e-Helrmnd Ham5un-e-Puzak (south end) Anzali Mordab Selke si &.hkesheem Miankaleh Peninsula and Gorgan Bay Lapoo-Zaghmarz Ab-bandan Neiriz Lakes (Tashk and Bakhtegan) Ram jan Marshes Dasht-e-Arjm L&f3 Parishan

Little Grebe Black--necked Grebe Slavonian Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Crested Grebe White Pelican Dalmatian Pelican Great Cormorant Prgmy Cormorant _ Great Bittern Night Heron

Cattle Egret Great Egret Little Egret Grey Heron

Purple Heron Spoonbill

Gloss y' Ibis White Stork

Greater Flamingo Grey Lag Goose

Mute Swan Whooye!r Swan

Ruddy Shelduck Corrrrrron~ SheldGck Mallard Cormon Teal Gadwall Wigeun Pintsi ShUVeler 10

15

- - -

101 27 -

1 -

20 -

100 1 - - -

210 -

13 0 2uu

10

-

16 - -

-

-

2.52 202

250 13 87 16 59

-

-

5 0 5 -

500 5 ) uuu

17U 5 17 10

400

10 .- .- .- .- .- .-

2!3

20 -- _-

:I. 3 :t 43 -- -- -- -- --

103 8 -- --

51 700 10 -. -. -.

Table I: ( continued)

6. 7 t . 8. 9. 10 . 11. ----_-------------------------------------------------------~----------

Little Grebe 3lack-necked Grebs Slavcmian Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great, Crested Grebe White Pelican Dalmatian Pelican {Great Cormorant Pygmy Cmxmrant Great Bittern Night Heron Cattle Egret Great Egret Little Egret Grey Heron Purple Heron Spoon'bill Glossy Ibis White Stork Greater Flamingo Grey Lag Goose Mute Swan Vhooptsr Swan Ruddy Shelduck Corumcm Shelduck Mallard Cmmon Teal Gadwall Wigeon Pintail Shoveler Red-crested Pochard Pochard Ferruginous Duck Tufted Duck Goldeneye 5 . rriew Red-breasted Merganser White-headed Duck Unidentified. ducks Cormon. Cr arle Water Rail Moorhen Purple Swamphen coot

10 275

3 2

49 -

355 15, 0~00

47 53 10

6

-

2,750 260 390

31 145

3,200 200

1,150 1,100

550 700

1,530

1,015 60 3

54 3

4 10

50 j 000

25

1 - -

4

38 2 5 2 10

445 125

25

177

-

10 -

-

1 -

-

- -

-

1

9

1 500

150 20

3 100

3

-

-

60 2,o

300 3, 000

500 5 ) QQO

500 5 0 .- _- -- _- -- -- -- -- -- -. -. -. -.

300

100 9

65 44 29 36

1

56 11

.... 13 3 .

20 190

6

1,345

58 51 60

400 85

610 2

- 20

15 6 4

6

29 2 3

87 2 ) 000

Ringed Plover Kentish Plover Golden Plover Grey Plover White-tailed Plover Northern Lapwing Red-wattled Lapwing Little Stint Terminck's Stint Dunli~n RlJff Spotted Redshank Redshank Marsh Sandpiper Greenshank Green Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper Gmrrmn Sandp.iper Black-Ttailed Godwit Curle7* Woodcock Cornrfm~ Snipe Jack Snipe 3lack--winged Stilt Lb-Xet

Red-necked Phalarope Great Black-headed Gull Little Gull Black--headed Gull Slender-billed Gull Herring Gull c5mm5n Gull Whiskered Tern Gull-billed Tern

3 -

-

65 650 46 2

25 100

1 n

25; 4 1 5 :3

650 1

85 1

17

1 240

.-

.-

.- 2

.-

:t 3, 400 _- 10 _- --

-- 10 --

-

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. _____-___--------------------------------------------------------

Red-lzrested Pochard Poch;srd Ferruginous Duck Tuftt?d Duck Goldeneye Srrrew Red-breasted Merganser White-headed Duck ~Jnidentified ducks ~Corrmon Crane

Water Rail Moorhen Purple Swamphen coot Ringed Plover Kentish Plover Golden Plover Grey Plover White-tailed Plover Northern Lapwing Red-wattled Lapwing Little Stint Terminck's Stint Dunlin Ruff Spotted Redshank Redshank Marsh Sandpiper Greenshank Green Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper Cormon Sandpiper Black-tailed Godwit Curlew Woodcock Cormon Snipe Jack Snipe Black-winged Stilt AVcJC--P-t- d a d* Red-rrmked Phalarope Great Black-headed Gull Little Gull Black-headed ‘Gu11 Slender-billed Gull Herring Gull Common Gull Whiskered Tern Gull-billed Tern

30

-

500

100

3

400

2,000 35 3 -

4 4

15

5 20 -

10 6 2

1

4

-

2

45

2

-

150

1

-

1 17

3,500

1,255

120 -

40 17 5

500 -

lr?O

5

5

100

2 4 -

- -

55

i-+ .-

15 3 -

5

.-

-

1 -

8

-c-t

5 5

-

_________________---____________________--------------------------

Figure 1: Fluctuations in Caspian Sea Level : 1852-1984

. . *. . ’ *. . . :I’ . . :;

Figure 2: Water levels in Gorgan Bay : late 1970s and present

I I I !) !: I’

.f

Figure 3: Bandar Xiashahr and mouth of Sefid Rud : 1955, 1964 and 1982

-

..-_ .’ -. . - -

Appendix I

REC. C.4.7 (Rev.)

MONITORING PROCEDURE

It comes to the attention of the Bureau that the ecological character of a listed wetland is changing or is likely to change as a result of technological development, pollution or other human interference.

Where appropriate, the Bureau shall propose to the Contracting Party or Parties concerned to apply the Monitoring Procedure, requesting, at the same time, additional information on the status of the wetland concerned.

Where, as a result of this procedure and other information available to the Bureau, the Bureau is of the opinion that there is evidence of significant change or likely change in the ecological character of a listed wetland, the Bureau shall collaborate with the Contracting Party or Parties concerned to arrive at an acceptable solution and the Bureau may offer advice and assistance to that Party or those Parties, if required. The Bureau shall inform the Standing Committee of any action it has taken in this connection.

If it does not appear that an acceptable solution can be readily achieved, the Bureau shall immediately bring the matter to the attention of the Standing Committee. The. Standing Committee, acting through the Chairman and Secretary, provided by the Bureau, may pursue the matter, in direct contact with the Contracting Party or Parties concerned and, where appropriate, with other responsible agencies or bodies, with a view to helping to find a solution.

5. In the event of alterations to the List or changes in ecological character in wetlands included therein, the Standing Committee shall arrange for the information to be circulated for discus.sion at the next Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties in accordance with Article 8 paragraph 2 (d) of the Convention.

6. The Bureau shall periodically review and report progress on the conservation status of sites to which its attention has been drawn

under this procedure. To facilitate follow-up, the Bureau shall maintain a register of activities undertaken in this connection.

Appendix IT.

RAMSAR SITES IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

(designated in 197.5 11

Miankalek Peninsula, Sorg%n Bsr;;, Lapoo-Z%ghm%ra AFJ-L%nd%n Lake Parishan snd Dasht-e-Arjan Lake Qroomiyeh Neiriz Lakes (Tashk and Bakhtegan) and fi%mj%n M%rshes Anzsli Mordab Complex Sh%deg%n Marshes %nd mud flats of Khor-al Amaya 8% Khor Muss H%moun-e-Saheri %nd Hamoun-e-Helmand L%ke Kobi Harrrollrr-e-Puzak, south end Shurgul, Yadegarlu %nd Dorgeh S%ngi Lakes Bandsr Kiashahr L&oon and mouth of Sefid Rud Amirkelayeh Lake L&e Gori AlEgOl.) IJlm%g:ol %nd Ajigol L&es lihuran Straits Deltss: of Rud-e-Shur, Rud-e-Shirin arid Rud-e-Min%b lIe1tFls of Rud-e-Gaz and Rud-e-Hara Gavkhcuni Lake %nd marshes of the lower Zaindeh Rud

Total %re% of sites designated

UNION INTERNATIONALE POUR LA CONSERVATION DE IA NATURE ET DE SES RESSOURCES

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

NOTIFICATION 85/6

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

(IUCN) presents its compliments to the Embassy of the Republic of India in its performance of continuing Bureau duties for the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar, 1971).

The Scientific Adviser to the Bureau, the International Waterfowl Research Bureau (IWRB), has received a communication from the Islamic Republic of Iran, pursuant to Article 3, paragraph 2 of the Convention, providing information if the ecological character of any wetland in its territory and included in the List (of Wetlands of International Importance) has changed, is changing or is likely to change as the result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference. The text of this communication is attached. It was also indicated in a telephone conversation that the problem is the result of activities undertaken across the border in Afghanistan.

IUCN is forwarding this notification to all the Contracting Parties

pursuant to Article 8, paragraph 2 (d) of the Convention, and shall be pleased to arrange for this matter to be discussed at the next Conference of the Contracting Parties, as required by that provision of the Convention. In the meantime, efforts are being made to assist the Iranian authorities in addressing the problem.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources would appreciate it if the contents of this notification might be transmitted to the concerned national authorities and avails

itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the Republic of India the assurance of its highest consideration.

Encl.

Gland, 22 May 1985

The Embassy of the Republic of India Weltpoststrasse 17 3015 BERNE

Telegram from Dr. H. MANAFI, M.D., Assistant Prime Minister and Director, Department of the Environment Islamic Republic of Iran

9 May 1985

Follo,wing telephone conversation of 8th May 1985, will appreciate your

immediate actions as well as advices for rehabilitation and enhancement of ecological balance of Hamoun Lake, the wintering area of about 300,000 migratory birds. It seems some human activities have caused complete drought in Sistan area and it is absolutely against the objectives of Pamsar Convention. Hereby, wish to ask all member countries of the Convention as well as scientific authorities of the world to pay their attention to this ecological catastrophe and would like your assistance for broadcasting the problem. Also would welcome future consultations for finding proper solutions.

Thanking you in advance for your cooperation and early response.

Sincerely, Dr. H. Manafi, M.D.

Appendix TV

ITINERARY OF MISSION

Sunday 19 January Arrival in T&ran at 0500 hrs; travel to Zabol, Seistan, arriving at 1030 hrs . Field visit to Kuh-e-Khvajeh area of Hasrrolxn-e.-Helrnarrd (Rmfsar Site, 1330-1745 kirs). Overnight at Goverrmt=nt Rest House in Zabol.

Monday 20 January Field visits to Takhte-Edslat are8 of Hmmun-e-Puzak (Ramsar Site, 0715-1430 hrs) and Chahnimeh Dam ( 1430-1800 hrs) . Overnight at Government Rest House in Zabol.

Tuesday 21 3anuary Travel from Zabol to Tet-rran, arriving at 1430 hrs. Overnight at Parsa Hotel in T&ran.

Thursday 23 January Field visit FJj7 boat to Anzali Mordab (I7,amsar Site), inc:ludirlg Sel& Wildlife Refuge and Siahkesheem Protected Area (0745-1800 hrs). Overnight at DOE Guest House near Bandar Anzali.

Friday 24 January Travel by vehicle from Bandar Anzali via mouth of Sefid Rud (&msar Sits)) Rarrrsar town, Fereydun Kenar "damg&" and Sari to Miarkaleh Wildlife Refuge, Mazandaran (0725-2115 hrs). Overnight at DC% Guard Station in Miankalsh Wildlife Refuge.

Saturday 25 January Field visit to Miankaleh Peninsula and Gorgon Bay (&.m~ar Site, 0730-1825 hrs). Overnight at DOE Guard Station irl Mia.r&aleh Wildlife Ref Lge.

Sunday 26 January Field visits to ti~iankaleh Peninsula and Lapoo-Z@hmarz Ab-bandan {Barrrsa.r Site, 0645-1000 hrf;); meeting at DOE provincial office in Sari (1045-1215 hrs]; travel b>; vehicle to Tehrarl, arriving at 1810 hrs. Overnight at Parsa Hotel in Tel-Iran.

Mondaiy 27 January Meetings at the Department of the Environmen-t in Tehran (0~30-1125 krs); *ravel by vehicle to Rc~lsh Ghazi Wildlife Refuge near Esfahan I arriving at 1515 hrs. Overnight at DOE Guard Station in Kol.ah Ghazi w. R.

Tuesday 28 January Travel by vehicle to Takkte-Jamshid (Psrsepulis) in Fars, arriving at 1340 hrs. Meeting with officials of DOE Shiraz Office, and travel to Bakhtegan Wildlife Refl&e, arriving at 213~0 hrs. Overnight at DOE Guard Station in Bakhtegan W.R.

Wednesday 29 January Field visit to the Neiriz Lakes (Lake Bakhtegan and Lake Tashk) and Karrrja:n Marshes (Rsrrrsar Site, otj45-1745 hrst; travel to Shiraz, arriving at 1920 hrs. Overnight at friend's house in Shiraz.

_Thursday 30 January Meeting at DOE provincial office in Shiraz ( 0600-09 lt3 hrs ! ; field visit to Dasht-e-Arjan and Lake Parishan (Ramsar Site, 0910-1745 hrs). Overnight at DOE Guard Station at Lake Parishan.

Friday 31 January Field visit to L&e Parishan (O8&~-1715 hrs); travel to Shiraz for 1st~ night flight to T&ran, arriving 0145 hrs. Overnight at Parsa Hotel in Tehrarr.

Saturday 1 February 'Field visit to Pardisan project area or1 oIA+,skirts of Tehran ( 1100-1300 hrs) ; farewell lunch with officia1.c; of DOE. --

Sunday 2 February Departure from Tehran at 0540 hrs for \:eneva via Zurich, arr<virlg at 1000 hrs.

PERSONS CONTACTED

DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Head Office, Tehran

Natural Bistory Museum, Tehran

Mr All. Adhami Mirhosseyni

Environment University, Karadj

Seistam & Balochistan Provincial Offic&; Zahedan

Mr H5rmoa Mahmoodi, Head Mr Jmmhid Mansoori, Expert (ornithology)

Zabol Office, Seistan & Balochistan

Mr Ahmadi, Head

Mazandaran Provincial Office, Sari

Mr M5h%KlKlad Reza Ruf;han Zamir, Head

Behshahr Office, Mazandaran

Mr Ksrim Masormi, Head

Esfahan Provincial Office, Esfahan

Mr Moghrrddarrr, Head

Fars Provincial Office, Shiraz

Bandar Abbas Provincial Office, Bandar Abbas

Mr Heidar Fsrhadpcmr, Expert (ornithologist)

Appendix VI

WATER LEVELS IN SEISTAN: 1969,'70 to 1977178 AND 1984185 to 1991/92

Year Eiarffoun-e H-Saberi H-Saberi Harrfoun-e Remarks He lrrrarrd ( lran) (Afghan. ) PUZ8k

_--_-_-_------------______________I_____--------------------~----------

Dry

1972j73 Fairly high

1973['74 Fairly high

1974j75 Fairly high

1975/"76 Dry

Fairly high

Dry

Dry

High

Fairly hig:h

Fairly high

LOW

X976/77 Fairly High

High High

Dry

Dry

High

Fairly high

Almost Big flood in March 72 dry

High

High High

High High

Low Fairly

High high

High high

,I9 7 7,/‘78 Dry High High High Exceptional flood in ~. spring 1978

-------------------------------------------------------------~---------

1984/55 Dry Dry Dry ? Dry

1985,f86

19861'87

1987/'88

1988,,*'89

Dry

Dry

Dry

Dry

Dry Fairly High high

Fairly Righ High high

Fairly High High high

Dry ? Dry ? Big flcmd in March 39

19a9,J,so High High High High Big f load in spring 90

1990,GJ 1 High High High High Exceptional flood in February/March 91

l-991/:92 High High High High ~~--_-_-----~-~-~-~-_C________L_________~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--~