The 11th International Conference on Coasts, Ports and Marine Structures (ICOPMAS 2014) was held in Tehran. The theme of the conference was “Coastal Areas, Opportunities & Challenges,” according to the website of ICOPMAS.
Iran is surrounded by waters both in the south and north. With a 5800-kilometer-long coastline, Iran has been a hive of economic and recreational activities worldwide.
In recent years numerous steps have been taken to utilize better the country’s coastline. In line with these efforts, Iranian experts have been encouraged and supported by the government to put their ideas into practice.
According to the officials, Iran has allocated $2.5 billion to build a big oil terminal in the port city of Jask off the Sea of Oman in the south.
A team of Iranian scientists have developed a system for the conservation and recovery of the corals. Nevertheless, officials believe that more investment is needed to keep this sector afloat.
Despite the great potentials of the country’s waters in economic development, maritime activities have mainly focused on imports and exports. They expressed hope that in the near future, more attention will be paid to other dimensions of the seas, such as food, maritime tourism, and passenger transportation.
Louis Van Schel, secretary general of the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC) was among the participants of the conference. PIANC is an international organization founded in 1885. The organization is responsible for addressing topics and advising on standards in the field of navigable waterway traffic on canals, rivers and ports. Iran is an active member of PIANC.
