Decade of ocean sciences: an opportunity to realize Iran's sustainable marine development

According to Marine News, on the eve of the development of a comprehensive marine-oriented development plan in Iran, the "Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development" announced by the United Nations (2021 to 2030) has provided a suitable platform for revising the country's maritime policies. This global decade emphasizes the necessity of integrating ocean knowledge in the decision-making and development plans of countries, and Iran can also take advantage of this opportunity to improve its position in maritime governance.
In this context, Marine News has conducted an exclusive interview with Dr. Maryam Qaemi, the vice-chairman of the Indian Ocean Regional Committee in the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOCINDIO) and the official representative of Iran in the IMBeR international project; A dialogue that examines the scientific capacities, policy gaps, and ways to achieve sustainable maritime development in Iran.
In the following, you will read the full description of this conversation.

• Considering that the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development was developed by the United Nations as a global framework for ocean protection and the realization of the 14th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG14), please explain exactly what goals and missions this initiative pursues and why it is of strategic importance for countries like Iran, from a scientific, environmental and policy point of view?

The Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2030-2021), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, is a transformative global initiative that seeks to mobilize the scientific community, governments, industry and civil society to create collective solutions in the field of ocean science, especially the 14th Sustainable Development Goal, which is the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources. The actions of this decade are aimed at realizing the following ten main priorities, which are:
1. Understanding and dealing with marine pollution
2. Protection and restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity
3. Sustainable nutrition of the world population
4. Developing a sustainable, resilient and fair maritime economy
5. Providing ocean-based solutions to climate change
6. Increasing community resilience against oceanic and coastal hazards
7. Sustainable expansion of the global ocean monitoring system
8. Create a digital representation of the ocean
9. Skills, knowledge, technology and participation for all 
10. Reviving people's relationship with the ocean
This initiative is of strategic importance for countries like Iran, which have extensive coastlines along the Persian Gulf, the Oman Sea, and the Caspian Sea. Scientifically, the initiative encourages capacity building, ocean data sharing, and interdisciplinary research to understand marine ecosystems. Environmentally, it addresses pressing challenges such as marine pollution, habitat destruction, and the effects of climate change that are very important in the region. From a policy perspective, the Decade provides a framework for aligning marine strategies at the national level with global best practices, strengthening integrated coastal management, developing the water economy, and improving ocean governance. 
As a scientific hub in the Indian Ocean region, Iran can have an effective presence at the international level through active participation in commissions such as IOCINDIO, where we currently hold a seat, as well as cooperation with other structures of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC).

• I would be grateful if you could tell me what actions have been taken by Iran, especially the National Research Institute of Oceanology, within the framework of the Decade of Ocean Science, and have specific regional projects or collaborations been defined or implemented in the framework of IOCINDIO that can be introduced as successful examples of Iran's scientific and regional cooperation?

Iran has actively welcomed the goals of the Ocean Science Decade and has taken significant actions since the beginning of this decade.
The National Research Institute of Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences of Iran, as Iran's representative in the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC), has implemented several programs in the country, notable examples of which are:
Persian Gulf and Sea of ​​Oman Oceanographic Monitoring Program (PGGOOMP)
In the oceanographic monitoring program of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, with the use of the Persian Gulf probe research ship and the use of advanced measurement and sampling equipment, expert and experienced human resources in various fields of oceanography and specialized laboratories, long-term studies and monitoring of biological and non-biological parameters of the three water areas of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman have been carried out, which has led to the production and collection of biological and non-biological oceanographic data, the creation of a data bank, and the preparation of an oceanographic atlas of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman and obtaining information regarding the determination of the current situation of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman in terms of the structure of the water column and sea currents, the physical and chemical quality of water and sediment, the level of pollution in the sea, the state of marine animals and plants. The valuable results of these patrols have proven Iran's superiority in the field of marine and ocean sciences in the region.
Iran Coastal Monitoring Program (ICMP)
This program has been implemented in sensitive areas such as mangrove forests, wetlands, coral reefs, and tidal areas and has studied various pollutions (including nutrients, heavy metals, microplastics, and persistent organic pollutants) in the coastal areas of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of ​​Oman and the pressures caused by climate change on sensitive coastal ecosystems.
Makran monitoring program 
In this research project, by using different scientific fields to collect physical and chemical oceanographic data and examine its characteristics in Makran coasts (temperature, salinity, turbidity, nutrients, dissolved oxygen, pH, petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and organochlorine toxins), marine and land geological data, geological structure and morphological characteristics of Makran coasts, environmental mineralogical studies data in soil and sediment samples through XRD analysis, Human pollution data has been analyzed and pollution zoning maps have been prepared in GIS environment.
Organize national consultations and workshops to raise awareness and develop Decade of Ocean Science actions
Training of more than 2000 school teachers of the country in the form of the Ocean Literacy Program during the last three years
Regional projects in the form of IOCINDIO
In the regional context, IOCINDIO has acted as an effective platform for capacity building and strengthening regional and international cooperation. In regional projects in various fields such as oceanic-climatic studies, numerical modeling of sea water level, studies of the ecosystems of the marginal seas of the Indian Ocean (including the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman) and the Mega Delta, we are actively cooperating and participating with neighboring countries and international partners, which shows the importance of scientific diplomacy and the effective presence of Iran at the international level. Also, in the 2026-2027 work program of IOCINDIO, which was approved in recent days in the General Assembly of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, Iran's active role in ocean science diplomacy is clearly defined, and we will have an active presence in all the working groups that will be formed (ocean science, biodiversity, pollution, assessments and management). 

• In the way of implementing the goals of this decade, what capacities have been activated inside the country or need to be strengthened (including infrastructure, human resources, or measurement and monitoring tools)?

Iran has made significant progress in the development of its ocean science infrastructure, including the deployment of research vessels, coastal and offshore monitoring programs (such as PGGOOMP and ICMP), the Iranian National Center for Ocean Data (INCOD) to integrate marine data, and the development of marine laboratories, specialized manpower, especially in fields such as marine chemistry, biology, geology, and satellite oceanography. However, several areas still need to be strengthened:
• Funding for long-term sustainable programs
• Expansion of climate and biogeochemical modeling with high accuracy
• Improving infrastructure for early warning systems and risk modeling (tsunamis, harmful algal blooms and oil pollution)
• Establishment of monitoring and observation stations in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea
• Strengthening the link between ocean science and social science to address community-level impacts and effective policy making
• Investment in marine data infrastructure, including open access platforms and digital tools
• Capacity development for emerging researchers, especially in interdisciplinary and solution-oriented sciences
• Increasing international partnerships to share technologies and methods
• Development of ocean literacy programs under the framework of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Sciences in cooperation with the West Asia Regional Center and IOCINDIO 

• Considering Iran's active role in the framework of the decade of ocean science, what challenges are there in the way of effective participation and implementation of national and regional programs? Thank you, could you please tell me what solutions can be considered to overcome these challenges and strengthen the interaction between scientific, executive and policy-making institutions?

The most important challenges:
• Fragmentation of maritime responsibilities among institutions, leading to limited coordination
• The inadequacy of the effective link between research outputs and policy making and development programs
• Limited financial resources for long-term and large-scale monitoring programs as well as regional joint programs
Solutions:
• Activate the National Ocean Science Decade Committee with high-level management to coordinate national actions
• Developing policy-oriented reports and holding joint meetings between scientific and executive institutions
Strengthening scientific diplomacy at the regional level 
• Expansion of multilateral partnerships between industries, universities, executive bodies and non-governmental organizations 

• To what extent do the results of oceanographic researches in Iran make their way to the macro-policy processes (such as the development of the water economy or coastal management)? How can this interaction be strengthened?

There is a growing trend for the interaction of research and policy. For example, the results of oceanographic research are regularly reported to national institutions such as the Environmental Protection Agency, which can be used in formulating policies for coastal management, biodiversity protection and pollution reduction.
While there is a growing recognition of the value of scientific data in marine policy-making, their use is still insufficient. Research findings often remain confined to academic circles without being sufficiently translated into formats that are accessible and usable by decision makers. Improving this relationship requires the following:
• Designing policy packages based on scientific evidence
• Establishment of scientific advisors in the sea domain in executive and legislative institutions
• Prepare periodic national ocean assessment reports with a sea-oriented sustainable development approach (according to SDG14 regulatory frameworks)
• Encourage joint research-policy initiatives, such as projects that demonstrate the practical value of ocean science.

To view the report in Marine News, refer to the following address.
https://marinenews.ir/fa/news/39498/