Iran and China Launch Joint Wetland Restoration Project
The 48,000-hectare initiative aims to curb regional dust storms through a new five-year hydrological and biological action plan.
Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Environmental
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Iran and China have entered the implementation phase of a joint environmental project aimed at restoring wetlands and mitigating dust storms. The initiative, spanning over 48,000 hectares, utilizes biological measures and infrastructure rehabilitation to stabilize soil and improve hydrological conditions.
Why it matters
This project attempts to neutralize active dust sources that degrade air quality across several Iranian provinces. By formalizing technical cooperation between Chinese and Iranian institutions, the initiative seeks to establish a replicable framework for combating desertification in arid regions.
The initiative encompasses 48,000 hectares of territory, focusing on the Salehiyeh Wetland and Tabas desert as primary sites. It utilizes a five-year strategy to implement windbreaks and biological soil treatments.
The players
Chinese Academy of Sciences
A comprehensive research organization conducting large-scale ecological and environmental studies.
University of Tehran
A public research university providing technical expertise for domestic hydrological and environmental management.
President Pezeshkian
The current President of the Islamic Republic of Iran who is overseeing the bilateral memorandum implementation.
The details
The restoration strategy integrates physical infrastructure with biological stabilization. Engineers are rehabilitating drainage systems and reopening waterways to restore hydrological regimes, while simultaneously deploying environmentally compatible mulches and windbreaks to anchor loose sediment. These techniques are designed to reduce airborne particle suspension at the source, complemented by community empowerment programs to sustain land use.
Timeline
Spring 2025: Memorandum of understanding signed in Lanzhou, China.
September 13, 2026: President Pezeshkian met to review project progress.
October 24, 2026: Operational review conducted via specialized webinar.
The Tech Race
This project follows the cooperative research pattern encouraged by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification to mitigate desertification impacts across borders. It marks a shift toward bilateral technical partnerships to scale localized wetland rehabilitation against regional airborne dust threats.
Residents in the Alborz, Qazvin, and Tehran provinces may see a reduction in dust storm intensity once the restorative measures stabilize local soil. The implementation of the five-year action plan will dictate the long-term effectiveness of these controls on local air quality.
The takeaway
The success of this intervention depends on the effective application of its biological and hydrological restoration techniques over the coming years. Stakeholders should track the release of the upcoming five-year action plan to identify concrete milestones for desertification control.
Further reading
Learn more about ongoing efforts to stabilize delicate ecosystems in our Environmental section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Tehran Times.
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