Siraf's Global Registration Pending Oil and Gas Cooperation

Morning South - Elham Behrouzi; Today, the global registration of Siraf has become one of the most important development topics of Bushehr province. Although this should have happened years ago, mismanagement, failure to complete archeological studies and excavations, negligence in compiling a comprehensive plan for the protection of the historical context, and neglecting the avant-garde position of this port in the world's maritime history have prevented Siraf from being included in the world heritage list.

Now that after two decades of demands by cultural heritage activists and local media, the world registration file of this port has been placed in UNESCO's evaluation stage under the special eye of the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, the recent threats and flight restrictions have brought this process to the waiting room. However, hopes for Siraf's globalization are still alive, especially in the current situation when Iran is engaged in an unequal battle with America and its allies; Because the global registration of Siraf not only presents the cultural image of Iran to the world, but also establishes our historical authenticity in the Persian Gulf more than ever.

Unfortunately, in all these years, despite the great position of Siraf, the development of this old port has always been faced with the deliberate neglect of industries based in South Pars and the lack of urban planning to achieve a balanced development. The result of this process was, on the one hand, the acquisition of a large part of the historical lands of this port by industrial companies and the organization of the Pars Energy Special Economic Zone, and on the other hand, the non-original constructions of the residents on the grounds or within the boundaries of ancient monuments (caused by the severe shortage of residential land).

Despite this, experts still believe that the large concentration of oil, gas and petrochemical industries around Siraf, along with their irreplaceable role in the dynamics of the national economy, has fueled an unbalanced development in the urban context and local society and has imposed additional pressure on the historical heritage, cultural landscape and tourism capacities of this ancient port.

In the meantime, the advisor to the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts regarding the role that oil, gas and petrochemical companies can play in protecting and reviving the cultural heritage of Siraf, developing tourism and specifically helping to remove the obstacles and requirements for its global registration, told Bammad Zaban: Oil, gas and petrochemical industries located in this region are an important part of the country's economic and strategic capacity and have a large contribution to production and the national economy. Therefore, our discussion here is not against the industry; The issue is that the region that produces a part of this national wealth must also enjoy the benefits of balanced development.

Mohammad Javad Haqshanas went on to say that in the past decades, industrial development in this area has progressed much faster than the development of cultural infrastructure, tourism and even some general needs of the region, adding: Now the global registration of Siraf has provided an opportunity to compensate part of this imbalance with a targeted program.

According to him, the social responsibility of industries here should not be limited to a few cases, holding an event or providing scattered credits. My suggestion is that with Bushehr Governorate and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts and with the participation of regional industries, a specific and multi-year plan should be developed for Siraf, the first priority of which is to protect the cultural heritage, develop tourism and help to remove the obstacles of world registration.

Haqshanas emphasized: This partnership can have specific areas, supporting archeological research and excavations and documentation, restoration and protection of works, organizing the cultural landscape, helping to solve environmental issues affecting the case, creating or completing infrastructure needed for tourism, training and empowering the local community, and supporting measures that are deemed necessary in the management plan of the World Register case.

Adviser to the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts emphasized that, of course, social responsibility is not a substitute for the legal duties of industries or the duties of the government, and a distinction should be made between these areas, stating: But companies that have been operating in this geography for years and have benefited from its capacities, can voluntarily and in a transparent and evaluable framework, undertake a lasting contribution to the protection of the history and future of this land.

Stating that Siraf's global registration can be the starting point for the formation of a new model of cooperation between the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, industry and the local community, Haqshanas said: "If the energy industries stand alongside the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, the Governor's Office, urban management and the people, and devote part of their social responsibility capacity to removing obstacles to the global registration and developing sustainable tourism, the result will not only be the registration of a work in the world list; But it can help to create more balance in the development of the region.

According to him, the value and goal of Siraf's global registration should be to revive the civilizational position and link it with the sustainable development needs of the region. It is in this way that it can be said that the global registration has really become the "jumping point" of Bushehr.

Haqshanas continues by emphasizing that although I agree with the proposition that Siraf's global registration can be the "jumping point" of Bushehr province; But global registration does not work miracles by itself, he emphasized: globalization creates an opportunity and international credibility, and the art of our management is to turn it into a sustainable development chain.

The adviser to the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts then pointed out the benefits and capacities of Siraf's globalization and said: The first capacity is tourism. Siraf can be one of the main centers of marine-historical tourism in Iran. Tourists don't just come here to see a building, they encounter Iran's maritime history, maritime trade routes, port architecture, water engineering, coastal culture and the historical connection between the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. If this capacity is linked with other historical, natural and cultural attractions of the province, it is possible to create new tourist routes, increase the duration of the tourist's stay and distribute tourism benefits in more parts of the province.

He considered the second globalization capacity of this old port to be strengthening the local economy and added: Tourism is valuable when part of its income remains in the same community. Accommodations, handicrafts, food, local transport, tourist guides, cultural events and creative economy can be the links of this chain. Therefore, the "jumping point" is not just an increase in the number of tourists; More importantly, it is turning tourism into a sustainable economic opportunity for people.

Haqshanas considered the relation of this issue with the sea-oriented development policy as the third capacity and said: we should not summarize sea-oriented development only in oil and gas, petrochemicals, commercial ports and sea transportation; Because marine tourism, cultural heritage, handicrafts, coastal culture and creative economy are also components of sea economy. Siraf can be an excellent example to provide a more comprehensive definition of sea-oriented development; A development that creates both economic value and preserves historical and cultural capital for future generations.

He further considered the international introduction of Siraf as the most important achievement of registering this ancient port in the UNESCO list and reminded: I think Mr. Salehi Amiri's interpretation that "Siraf is the birth certificate of the Persian Gulf" has an important meaning. Global registration can expose the long-lasting contribution of Iranians in the history of seafaring, trade and cultural interactions of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean through research, historical documents and tangible heritage to the world community. This language is more permanent than any political controversy; Because cultural heritage speaks to the document, history and memory of civilization.

The adviser to the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts considered the formation of serious determination among the people of Siraf and their solidarity with cultural heritage activists as the most important prerequisite for the globalization of Siraf and said: My proposal is to establish a participatory management mechanism in which representatives of the local community, urban management, tourism activists and local business owners, experts and young people, along with the technical team of the case, play a decisive and influential role in the globalization process.

According to him, property rights and quality of life of Siraf people are an integral part of the global registration file. The logic of this approach is clear; When the citizen of Sirafi feels that the historical heritage of his city, in addition to making him proud, also helps to improve his family's livelihood, employment and quality of life, he will become the most effective and best guardian of it. This is precisely the point where sustainable conservation and local development intersect.