Stakeholder Role Analysis for Integrated Management in Protected Areas (Case Study: Urmia Lake, Iran)

Urmia Lake and its surroundng wetlands have been severely affected by recent droughts (1998–2003) and a considerable decrease in inflow has affected lake ecosystem components. Integrated ecosystem-based management is a useful managing tool for the wise use and biodiversity conservation of wetlands. In the process of developing an integrated ecosystem-based management model for Urmia Lake, the identification of key stakeholders is of primary importance. In this research, stakeholder analysis is used as an effective tool for establishing collaborative management in the Urmia Lake catchment in terms of the following parameters and objectives: almost all stakeholders receive multiple benefits from Urmia Lake, either directly or indirectly; almost all stakeholders also cause impacts on the lake ecosystem, many of which result from activities that take place in areas located within in the Urmia catchment but far from the lake. In general, the stakeholders who receive the most benefits seem to cause the lowest impact (for example, Environmental groups), while those who receive fewer benefits may have larger impacts (for example, water resource managers). Recognizing that all stakeholders affect the lake in one way or another is an important concept that promotes the ethic that future management of the Lake should regarded as a shared responsibility between all stakeholders.