Strategic environmental assessment in urban development Case study: (Zahedan city)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C., Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Geography and Geomorphology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C., Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Environmental problems are one of the most important issues in major cities, metropolises and it is the result of confliction with the natural environment because urban development is necessarily associated with the domination of buildings, industries, transportation, and economical activities on natural spaces. Strategic Environmental Assessment A comprehensive, formulated and systematic environmental impact assessment of policies, plans, and plans with their options include reporting through their findings and their application in the decision-making process.Materials and methods: A descriptive and analytical method was used to study and evaluate the strategic environmental impacts of urban development, Based on the concepts of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), using MADM statistical techniques and operational research, such as Analytic Hierarchy Process Analyzer (AHP),for proper emphasizing and valuation between experts (whose content was calculated using the Cochran formula) related to urban management and environment such as municipality, environment, governorate, natural resources, etc. were distributed and completed. Finally, the results were analyzed by Expert choice software.Results and discussion: The aim of the SEA process is to recognize the advantages and disadvantages of the environmental effects of a comprehensive plan and minimize the negative impacts of the implementation of the plan. For strategic evaluation, 2 criteria and 10 sub-criteria were selected which after assessing and evaluating the environmental criteria, sanitary exclusion of wastewater and residues were weighed 0.417 and reducing air pollution with a weight of 0.245 are the most important and in the top priorities, and sub-criteria of emphasis on improving the quantity and quality of water resources with a relative weight of 0.208, restoration of green space or missed pastures with relative weight of 0.077 and emphasis on the increased in soil quality and its fertility with a relative weight of.053 are in the third to fifth priority levels, respectively. Among the non-criteria related to the physical component, the realization of a healthy city plan, increased in access to open space and green, and payingattention to the urban architecture of the native with weights of 0.34, 0.264 and 0.159 are in the first, second and third, respectively. Quality improvement measurements for informal settlements with a relative weight of 0.094, realization of optimum density with relative weight of 0.085 and the optimal distribution of applications in the city with a relative weight of 0.058 are in the third to sixth priority.Conclusion: Zahedan has suburban neighborhoods such as Shir Abad, Karim Abad, Babaeyan, etc. Most of these neighborhoods are deprived of welfare infrastructure such as water, sanitation and... The structure and texture of soil geology are such that there is no possibility of constructing wells, According to the results of strategic assessment, urban environmental pollution such as sanitary wastewater-residues, pollution, air pollution, water pollution, restoration and access to open and green urban areas, access to a healthy and habitable city, attention to architecture - local urbanism and ... which all of them are the consequence of accelerated development of modern cities. Therefore, more attention of officials, planners and urban managers is required to prevent more urban environmental degradation, and it is necessary to provide citizens with fair access to welfare indicators.

Keywords


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