Iran Wetlands: Development Needs and Conservation Management – Dr

Preface 1. INTRODUCTION To promote science diplomacy and enhance understanding of this important issue, the ‘U.S.-Iran Symposium on Wetlands’ was held from March 28th to 30th, 2016 at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center in Irvine, California (USA). The Symposium was organized by the University of Arizona, National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and Sharif University of Technology. Delegations of U.S. and Iranian scientists participated in sharing current research and knowledge. The goal of the joint U.S.-Iran Symposium on Wetlands was to gather experts in various fields related to wetlands to discuss and inform on the important aspects based on the two countries’ experiences. 2. SYMPOSIUM MOTIVATION Found on almost all parts of planet Earth, wetlands are a critical component of the natural environment, serving varied purposes and providing multiple benefits, including habitat for aquatic and terrestrial species, cycling of nutrients and organics, water purification, and serving as buffers to reduce impacts of storm flooding. Human activities have exerted multiple stressors on the functioning and existence of wetlands. From diversion and loss of water supply to the variety of impacts caused by pollutant loading, the health and resilience of wetlands is being tested and sometimes exceeded. In addition, climate change-related impacts to natural systems including wetlands are already occurring in some areas and are anticipated to increase in the future. These impacts may be even greater at wetlands located in arid regions of the U.S. and Iran. There is a need to recognize and understand these impacts and to implement appropriate management and mitigation strategies to preserve these important ecosystems. Given the multiple benefits of wetlands, the construction of artificial wetlands for water purification is increasingly being recognized as a viable method for wastewater treatment. For example, there were over 600 constructed wetlands used for treatment of municipal wastewater in North America by 1998. Research on constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment has examined organics, nutrients, heavy metals, and pathogens in systems utilizing surface flow, subsurface flow, or vertical flow. The first international treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, the Ramsar Convention, was signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. The Convention’s ongoing mission is “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.” Given the historical context and the present range of issues related to natural and constructed wetlands, there is a clear opportunity for “science diplomacy” on this issue between Iran and the U.S. To that end, the Symposium served as a forum to bring together a diverse group of scholars to discuss wetlands, learn about the latest research, and understand how each country is advancing to address this topic. The spirit of the Symposium was to initiate dialogue about wetlands and facilitate the next steps to take as a collective group. 3. RESEARCH FIELDS OF WETLANDS The scientific committee of the U.S.-Iran Symposium on Wetlands met several times to plan the meeting and converged on a set of topics that were of mutual interest: 1 3.1. Science of Natural Wetlands This broad topic of the Symposium included a diverse set of presentations. Talks discussed nutrient pollution in the Everglades, plant diversity and nutrient cycling in saline wetlands, anaerobic carbon cycling, the “black box” of wetland biogeochemistry, and wastewater effects to a natural wetland in Iran. 3.2. Restoration of Wetlands The Symposium included several presentations on the increasingly important topic of wetland restoration. Talks discussed efforts to restore the Mesopotamian Marshes in Iraq and the Everglades, restoration efforts at the Salton Sea, determining wetland environmental water requirements, a restoration approach for Lake Urmia, Iran, and a wetland management framework incorporating ecosystem service and social linkage aspects. 3.3. Climate Change and Wetland Restoration Climate change is already impacting natural systems including wetlands and these impacts are anticipated to increase in the future. Restoration efforts at wetlands impacted by climate change is a growing area of interest and activity. Talks on this topic included restoration of Lake Urmia, Iran, a systems approach for assessing impacts on Parishan Wetland system in Iran, and sediment augmentation to combat sea level rise in coastal wetlands in California. 3.4. Management and Regulation of Wetlands Effective restoration of wetlands requires proper management and regulation. Presentations on these topics included quantification methods for evaporation estimation, assessment of biological invasions at coastal wetlands, participatory management of mangrove forests to promote restoration, and assessment and planning efforts for regional recovery of coastal wetlands in California. 3.5. Constructed Wetlands and Phytoremediation Utilization of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment is another area of growing interest in the U.S., Iran, and around the world. Presentations on this topic included field and laboratory assessments of surface flow and subsurface flow constructed wetlands and their treatment performance for organics, nutrients, pathogens, and trace organic contaminants. Phytoremediation as a green approach for wetlands management and for nutrient reduction of agricultural runoff were also presented. 4. WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE U.S.-IRAN SYMPOSIUM ON WETLANDS Overall, the content of the Symposium was well-received by all participants, promoting dialogue and interaction among the participants. The significance of wetlands was made clear and similar views were shared by the group about both the urgency of the issue and areas for future work. Scientists from both countries interacted at a high level and discussed how to extend collaborations beyond the meeting. Discussions motivated the development of a special journal issue to present the findings of papers presented at this meeting and the publication of this Proceedings. Overall, the content of the Symposium was highly appreciated by the participants. The purpose, results and outcomes were regarded as relevant and meaningful. In particular, the broad scope of the presented topics and fields reinforced the need for interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration. 2 5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to the individuals and institutions that have made this symposium and the publication of these proceedings possible. In particular, we would like to thank: the International Visitors Leadership Program, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, as well as Sharif University of Technology. Further, we express our gratitude to Mr. Larry Moody of the International Visitors Leadership Program and his colleagues for their dedication and devotion to the promotion of science. We also thank Mr. Glenn Schweitzer of the National Academy of Sciences for his tireless efforts to enhance and support Science Diplomacy. Also our thanks to Dr. Anne Dare from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine for organizing scientific visits to universities and research centers involved in managing wetlands in the United States. The organizers would like to acknowledge the support of Dr. Mahmud Fotouhi-Firuzabadi and Dr. Masud Tajrishi, the President and Vice President of Sharif University of Technology. In particular, the contributions of the organizing committee at Sharif by Dr. Mehdi Borghei, Dr. Manuchehr Vosoughi, Dr. Golnaz Borghei and Dr Azadeh Hemmati in reviewing the proceedings papers and making the final selection of the participating scientists are greatly appreciated. The organizers would like to thank the University of California at Irvine and we express our gratitude to Dr. Soroosh Sorooshian for his commitment and efforts towards the success of the Symposium. We also thank the staff at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for their contributions and hospitality. Additionally, we acknowledge the participating scientists for joining us in Irvine to present the results of their research, take part in scientific discussions, and provide the papers making up this document; their scientific contributions were the basis for the meeting and their eagerness enhanced the conference. Also, we are thankful to Dr. David Quanrud of the University of Arizona for his excellent work as the Executive Editor of these Proceedings and Coordinator of the Symposium. Finally, our special thanks to the staff of the University of Arizona Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, in particular Ms. Therese Lane, Senior Business Manager, and Ms. Sierra Lindsay for their assistance in the organization of the Symposium and preparation of the Proceedings. Kevin Lansey, Co-Chairman Hassan Vafai, Co-Chairman David Quanrud, Co-Chairman December, 2016 3 Management of Wetlands and Marshes: A Project for Iran March 14 - April 1, 2016 Arranged by World Learning PROJECT SUMMARY The Office of International Visitors Leadership Program outlined the following specific objectives for the project: Provide a forum for Iranian and American professionals to compare research on wetlands management; Investigate the status of wetlands and marshes in the United States; Examine cooperation between federal, state, and local governments and universities and research

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