Iran (Islamic Republic of)

• © UNESCO/Mounir Bouchenaki
• Bam, after the earthquake of December 26th 2003

The Islamic Republic of Iran joined UNESCO on September 6, 1948. The UNESCO Cluster Office in Tehran also covers Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkmenistan.

The ruins of the holy city of the Kingdom of Elam are found at Tchogha Zanbil, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1979) in southwest Iran. The international cultural project to protect this site initiated fruitful cooperation with UNESCO. After the earthquake in 2003, UNESCO coordinated international activities to safeguard historic monuments in the Old City and Citadel of Bam. In 2004 the Bam Citadel (Arg-e Bam) and related sites were added to the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Two UNESCO-affiliated centres area focus on water issues in Iran - the Regional Centre for Urban Water Management (RCUWM) in Tehran and the International Centre on Qanats and Historic Hydraulic Structures in Yazd. Iran is also currently involved in a project on sustainable management of marginal drylands, and an earthquake mitigation programme.

There are nine MAB Biosphere reserves in Iran.