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Bringing the Ramsar Convention home: A critical examination of the legal regulation of the ecosystem of Lake Urmia

Ostovar, Siavash

Bringing the Ramsar Convention home: A critical examination of the legal regulation of the ecosystem of Lake Urmia Thumbnail


Authors

Siavash Ostovar



Abstract

The present study investigated the effectiveness of the legal regulations of the ecosystem of the Lake Urmia. Lake Urmia located in northwestern part of Iran between the two provinces of East- Azerbaijan and West- Azerbaijan was declared a wetland of international importance by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in 1971 and designated a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserve in 1976. It is also designated as a ‘National Park’ in Iran. The Lake is drying out and it is in its worst condition ever. Using Socio-legal research methodology the present study considered both Ramsar Convention as an international law and Iran’s national laws to investigate their effectiveness to save Lake Urmia. To reach this aim, this study first scrutinised the provisions of the Ramsar Convention and derived a framework from the provisions of the Convention to examine the implementation of the Convention in the context of Iran. The success and failures of the Ramsar Convention implementation were analysed. Having used the same framework derived from the Ramsar Convention provisions, the national laws of Iran were explored and evaluated. Furthermore, how Iran complies with and enforcing the laws for preserving wetlands using the Penal Code as an enforcement power was studied. Finally, potential legal solutions for rescuing the Lake Urmia were analysed and how they might be useful within the context of Iran were discussed. This study suggested that a successful plan for conservation and sustainable use of Lake Urmia and their resources, for the benefit of present and future generations needs a rigorous study of the current condition of the Lake in combination with an in-depth analysis of their feasibility with respect to existing legal, political, administrative constraints. Hence, it is always crucial to regularly review the national laws on/related to wetlands management, share information between involved legal bodies; designate a competent body to wetland management and ensure the political support for effective laws on wetlands.

Citation

Ostovar, S. Bringing the Ramsar Convention home: A critical examination of the legal regulation of the ecosystem of Lake Urmia. (Thesis). UWE. Retrieved from https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/5628606

Thesis Type Thesis
Deposit Date Mar 9, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/5628606
Award Date Jan 25, 2021

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