TEHRAN – Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) is going to prepare a comprehensive program for managing the country’s coasts by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20), an official with the organization said.

According to Mohammadreza Allahyar, the MPO deputy head for engineering and infrastructure development, the program will be mainly focused on the coastal areas of Boushehr Province as well as the Caspian Sea coast in the north, IRIB reported.

“Sustainable and balanced development of coastal areas is on the PMO’s agenda in order to make maximum use of the country's coastal and maritime capacity,” Allahyar said.

Stating that the Integrated Coastal Management Plan is a national plan on a provincial scale, the official said: “In this program, coasts are studied from various aspects including environmental, political, security, passive defense, and marine.”

Once the integrated management plan is prepared, the best use for various coastal areas will be prioritized.

Emphasizing that the sustainable development of coastal areas is aimed at determining the best use of the coastal areas and the sea, Allahyar said: "The integrated management plan of coastal areas in Sistan-Balouchestan province and part of Makran coasts has already started and for the costs of Khouzestan province the primary studies will begin by the yearend.”

He also mentioned the primary preparations for a comprehensive plan for the country’s islands, adding: “Ports and Maritime Organization is obliged to formulate such programs to ensure the integrated and balanced development of the country’s islands as well as the coastal areas.”

Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization functions under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport and Urban Development.

EF/MA