Management
Led by the International Crane Foundation with funding from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the Siberian Crane Wetland Project* (SCWP) is a six-year effort to sustain the ecological integrity of a network of globally important wetlands in Asia that are of critical importance for migratory waterbirds and other wetland biodiversity, using the globally threatened Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus) as a flagship species for this effort.
This charismatic bird is the international ambassador that links the 16 project sites strung across 
Russian Siberia, China, Kazakhstan and Iran, and is a flagship species for the multitude of migratory waterbirds and other wildlife supported by these wetlands. The project will ensure the legal protection of these wetlands, and raise the capacity of the responsible agencies to manage them effectively in cooperation with local communities and other stakeholders. In addition, the project will support the work at the sites through national and flyway level activities such as strengthening legislation and policies, and improved coordination of international activities. The SCWP is being implemented through the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), as Implementing Agency of the GEF, in cooperation with the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the governments of the People’s Republic of China, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, and Russian Federation.
In Iran, the UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetlands Project (SCWP) aims to increase the capacity for management of two project sites, which have different degrees of protection under national legislation. These protected areas are designated wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, in common with a number of other sites in the Caspian Lowlands ofIran.
*Note:
The full title of the project is “Development of a Wetland Site and Flyway Network for Conservation of the Siberian Crane and Other migratory Waterbirds in Asia.”
Founded
The unique Siberian Crane Wetland Project (SCWP) began in 2003 funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). By focusing on the chain of wetlands encompassed by the Siberian Crane’s flyways, the project successfully directed conservation effort to threatened wetland ecosystems, benefiting hundreds of plant and animal species as well as human communities that depend on wetlands for water and natural resources.
This six-year project functions at three levels:
At the site level, activities aim to reduce external threats and ensure necessary water flows to maintain the ecological health of wetlands. Activities include strengthening legal protection and enforcement, training nature reserve staff, involving local communities, and developing site management plans, environmental education and public awareness programmes, and projects that promote sustainable livelihoods for local communities.
At the national level, the SCWP supports monitoring, training, education and public awareness programmes across sites and also applied research to inform sound management decisions, including ongoing study of seasonal waterbird movements and wetland system dynamics. SCWP is also working to improve legislation, policy and planning to support wetland and waterbird conservation. These activities are coordinated with other national wetlands initiatives to strengthen integrated wetland management through collaboration with different organizations.
At the international level, the focus is on flyway-level conservation—the network of wetland sites along the entire migratory pathways of the cranes. To achieve this, the SCWP promotes cooperation among the four countries, enhances interaction among sites and engages communities in the management of the wetlands along the West/Central and East Asian flyways for migratory waterbirds. Conservation actions within these flyways are coordinated with other initiatives for migratory waterbirds and closely integrated with the Conservation Plans created through the CMS MoU.
Description
In the Islamic Republic of Iran, the main SCWP site is Fereydoon Kenar Ramsar Site in Mazandaran province. This site is the only known regular wintering area for the Siberian Crane in Iran. The area is not just important for Siberian Cranes, but it also is recognized as an internationally important site for its biodiversity, especially the large numbers of waterbirds. This habitat is also of high value to the local community, and ownership and operation rights of the site belong to the local community entitled damgah owners or trappers. The project aims to achieve sustainable use of resources and improve conservation and protection at the project site by actively involving stakeholders, including local communities, in the decision-making procedures for site management; through environmental education and awareness activities; and implementing small-scale pilot projects promoting alternative livelihoods.
Key species and features
Fereydoon Kenar Marshes are critically important as the regular wintering grounds of the known western population of Siberian Crane or Grus leucogeranus (only one bird remaining). Other endangered species using the site include Branta ruficollis, Anser erythropus, Pelecanus crispus and Phalacrocorax pygmaeus (occasional visitors), wintering raptors such as Falco spp. and Haliaeetus albicilla. The site regularly holds well in excess of tens of thousand waterfowl in winter, with up to 100,000 birds at any one time. The wintering waterfowl include over 1% of the regional populations of Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo (maximum 1,560); Greater white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons (maximum 1,700); Greylag Goose, A. anser (maximum 6,000), Vanellus vanellus and Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa.
General
As a result of an extensive root cause identificneed for a Public Awareness Strategy. The Awareness 
Strategy supported a programme of awareness-building activities ation and analysis, the SCWP recognized the critical as aimed at specific stakeholder groups including resource users, decision-makers, and communication focal points (such as mass media at local, provincial and national levels). The overall objectives of the Strategy were closely linked with those of the Project, and aimed to:
· Providing guidelines for raising the awareness of the key stakeholders, target groups and audiences at national, provincial and site levels
· Contributing to the achievement of sustainable changes of attitude among the stakeholders at national, provincial and site levels.
· Developing practical action plans for sound implementation and monitoring of the activities recommended by the Awareness Strategy.
· The Public Awareness programme directly supports the community participation programme at the sites.
In line with implementation of the Public Awareness Strategy, the main accomplishments at Fereydoon Kenar include:
· Review and approval of the Public Awareness Strategy by Site Management Committees
· Educational programs on wetland conservation for schools, trappers and hunters
· Discussions and talks with local NGOs and community based groups on ecotourism development and other options of alternative livelihood
Contacts and coordination with provincial and local media to cover news related to biodiversity, and production of seasonal local newsletters.
Interpretation and major exhibits
One of the main achievements of the project has been the formation and development of young local groups or CBOs at Fereydoonkenar. The capacity of these groups has increased through different training programs conducted by the project and currently they play a major role at local level in implementing educational and public awareness programs. These young groups also act as facilitators to support the community participation programme at the site, with both programmes closely interacting and adjusting in relation to each other.
Empowerment of these groups is very important because they play a major role in the future. These groups will not only assist in the deepening of facilitation activities at the site, but will also contribute to the increase of social capital for the sustainability of site management in parallel with the envisaged protection activities.
To date these groups have conducted several activities including development of seasonal newsletters; development of posters; development of news for local newspapers; meetings and discussions with local authorities on the values of the site; meetings and discussions with damgah people; meetings with the parents of children in kindergarten; educational classes and programs in more than 20 schools for boys and girls at different levels (elementary, middle and high school)- in these classes children were taught about the values of wetland and waterbirds and they were provided with promotional materials, also drawing competition and puzzle solving competition was carried for different classes. Other activities were development of a local weblog http://zistgah.hoo.ir which is linked with the project website and they update the news related to the site and their activities on this website. In addition they distributed promotional and awareness arising materials.
Professional
The SCWP in Iran has hold many training workshops on participatory wetland management, wetland monitoring, waterbird monitoring, management plan development, etc. at national, provincial and local level for experts especially experts of the Department of the Environment and other related stakeholders.
Staffing
The project is implemented by four staff in the national coordination unit. The National Project Manager and the National Technical Officer are mainly in charge of the day-to-day project implementation. In addition national and international consultants provide technical support for the project's activities.
Contacts
UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetland Project in Iran
Block B, Museum Building, Pardisan Eco-park, Hakim Highway, Tehran, Iran
T: 0098 21 8824 4669
F: 0098 21 8824 4669
Ms Azin Fazeli, National Technical Officer - Email: azin_fazeli@yahoo.com1
Mr Sadegh Sadeghizadegan, National Project Manager-Email:sadegh64@hotmail.com2