TEHRAN — An Iranian entrepreneurship fund called Omid (literally meaning hope), has allotted some 50 billion rials (nearly $1.5 million) with the aim of saving wetlands nationwide, ISNA news agency reported.

In a ceremony held on Saturday the Department of Environment (DOE) and Hope entrepreneurship fund signed a memorandum of understanding to create job opportunities which can replace the current water reliant jobs such as farming for people living in the proximity of the 12 wetlands such as Urmia and Hamoun.  

DOE Chief Masoumeh Ebtekar expressed hope that the newly signed agreement would help local people to stay in their home towns and at the same time help restore the wetlands and save them from getting drier.

MQ/MG