The Toolbox for Integrated Assessment of Wetlands

The wetlands and water ecosystems of the country are valuable assets, and by protecting and reasonable utilization of these assets, functions and services become possible that are all unique in their own right. Just like how wetlands maintain various functions and living and non-living environmental elements in an integrated fashion, it is necessary for humans as well to learn how to be a member of these valuable ecosystems and live alongside it. Maintaining complex biological systems of the wetland and the factors affecting its survival can be achieved through careful economic and societal investigation and evaluation of the wetlands in order to make use of infinite economic, recreational, scientific, and genetic resources of the wetlands. The current toolkit has been developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and it has been translated into Persian and published thanks to a number of experts from the Department of Environment and Conservation of Iranian Wetlands Project. The toolkit introduces integrated assessment methods based on the biodiversity, economic, and livelihood perspectives for valuation and promotion of various approaches for improving the living standard and the livelihood of low-income groups and local communities, which are in line with the objective of conservation and restoration of wetlands.