Wise use of natural resources requires the villagers living roundabout wetlands to take up other means of subsistence rather than farming. Often, under emergency conditions, such as drought, overexplotation of nature becomes inevitable since villagers cannot rely on their crops exclusively, upon which the ecosystem is damaged. Introducing appropriatealternative livelihoods will decrease the stress on wetlands. The current article, based on experiences of the Conservation of Iranian Wetland Project, explains the background of livelihood frameworks in Iran and also discusses the achievements and challenges of applying such an approach in the Iranian context.