On Feb. 2, 1971, representatives from 18 countries gathered in Iran's northern coastal town of Ramsar, nestled between the majestic Alborz Mountains and the Caspian Sea, to sign a landmark treaty aimed at preserving the world's wetlands. What came to be known as Ramsar Convention, the first-of-its-kind environmental agreement sought to engage governments in tackling pressing issues related to wetlands, committing to their “wise use,” and cooperating on trans-boundary wetlands ...