Tehran: Head of Iran's Department of Environment Shina Ansari has announced that Japan will collaborate with Iran on the restoration of Lake Urmia as part of a joint agreement. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Ansari discussed the recent agreement with the United Nations to enhance the resilience of Iran's wetlands, adding that Japan is supposed to help Iran restore Lake Urmia. According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Iran has announced a contribution of ¥690 million ($4.6 million) from Japan aimed at enhancing wetland conservation efforts and promoting climate-resilient livelihoods in the Lake Urmia, Shadegan, Parishan, and Anzali wetlands. Since 2014, Japan has been a steadfast partner of the UNDP and the Iranian government, consistently supporting sustainable resource management and the diversification of community livelihoods in Iran's wetland basins. The latest agreement, signed on December 1, 2024, formaliz es a project entitled "The Project for Developing a Conservation System for Wetlands in Lake Urmia and Other Wetlands, Including Their Surrounding Communities". This initiative will run from 2024 to 2028 in collaboration with Iran's Department of Environment and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).