Strategic Foresight Group visited the Islamic Republic of Iran between 13 and 20 January 2017 to interact with local experts in the fields of water resources and foresight studies.

Anumita Raj, Senior Programme Manager and Parita Kotak, Research Analyst visited Tehran with an aim of engaging with academic and research institutions working in the fields of water governance, shared water resources and future studies.

The visit enabled SFG to gain a clear understanding of Iran’s water resources, shared rivers with countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan, hydropower capacity and water governance in the country. Apart from this, meetings were also conducted with experts from the growing network of futurists and foresight scholars in Iran.

Through the visit, SFG was also able to make Iranian institutions aware of the Blue Peace Process facilitated by Strategic Foresight Group which aims to turn water from a tool of conflict to an instrument of peace and stability at the global level as well as within the Middle East.

Meetings were conducted with experts from various institutions including the Tehran Water Institute at the University of Tehran, Future Studies Department at the University of Tehran, Tarbiat Modares University and ASEF Think Tank.

Below is a full list of persons that SFG staff met with:

· Dr. Abdolrahim Gavahi, Former Ambassador to Japan and Director of Religious Research Center

· Dr. Shahab Araghinejad Deputy Director of Tehran Water Institute at University of Tehran

· Dr Mohammad Reza Shahbazbegian Director Manager of Faramarz Ab Knowledge Based Company at Tarbiat Modares University and Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute for Middle East Strategic Studies

· Dr. Banafsheh Zahraie, Associate Professor, School of Civil Engineering at University of Tehran

· Dr. Mohammad Mahdi Zolfagharzadeh, Associate Professor at Department of Future Studies and Department of Islamic Studies at University of Tehran

· Dr Mahdi Zarghami, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Tabriz

· Dr Siavash Malekifar, Director of ASEF Think Tank

· Dr Ali Chaparak, Research Manager at ASEF Think Tank and Member of Future Studies Department at University of Tehran

· Dr Kamran Emami, Owner ofKurit Kara Engineers and Member of Iranian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage

Photographs from the visit can be viewed at the following link: http://strategicforesight.com/gallery_inner.php?id=179