Drying Wetlands, Silenced Voices: Climate Conflict and Women’s Rights in Wetland Ecosystems in Iran; Gaps and Opportunities Using the DPSIR Model

Atieh Khatibi, University of Graz (Iran)

Climate conflicts, particularly in wetland ecosystems in Iran, undermine peace, sustainable livelihoods, and human security, particularly among the women’s population. Drying wetlands and competition over natural resources intensify social tensions in Iran, which disproportionately affect women’s rights due to unequal social structures. Despite the core role of women in environmental conservation and peacebuilding, the legal, political, and institutional structures lack gender-responsive mechanisms for resolving climate change conflicts. This paper will analyze the women’s agency and impacts of conflict on women’s rights using the DPSIR (Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response) model to identify opportunities for providing rights-based and gender-inclusive responses. In addition, this paper will assess the environmental governance system’s capacity in Iran for supporting such proposed gender-inclusive responses, as well as highlighting gaps and barriers. This paper argues that women’s inclusion in environmental planning and management in Iran is necessary for promoting peace, social equality, and resilience in wetland ecosystems.