The Joint Pilot Activities

Partnership between Anzali Wetland and Kushiro Wetland

Kushiro-shitsugen is one of the Japan’s largest wetland, extending 36 km from north to south and 25 km from east to west with a total area of 22,070 ha. It was Japan’s first wetland to be listed under the Ramsar Convention, and consists mostly of reed-sedge marshland with a web of tributaries flowing into the Kushiro River, which runs over the wetland from north to south. Kushiro-shitsugen is a rich habitat for a variety of precious flora and fauna, including the Red-crowned Crane (designated as a Special Natural Monument of Japan) and the Siberian Salamander (a northern-region relic species found only in certain parts of Japan).

Anzali Wetland and Kushiro Wetland have been implemented many activities such as partnership meetings, training programs in Kushiro and information exchanges based on the minutes of understanding (MOUs) between the Department of Environment, Gilan (DOE Gilan) and Kushiro City in 2011 and 2012.

Totally 61 Iranians were trained in JICA training program in Japan including Kushiro Wetland from 2004 to 2017 (Not only in this Project but also in the Master Plan Study (2004) and Phase I project (2008-2012).