The Necessity of Transitioning from Environmental Impact Assessment to Cumulative Impact Assessment in the Management of Coastal Cities of the Persian Gulf: A Case Study of Parsian City with Emphasis on Coastal Water Pollution

Coastal cities of the Persian Gulf are among the most environmentally sensitive territorial zones due to the concentration of urban, industrial, port, and energy-related activities. Parsian City, located adjacent to energy-intensive industries and undergoing rapid coastal infrastructure development, faces multiple environmental pressures that require an approach beyond conventional Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The fundamental issue is that traditional EIA typically evaluates the impacts of individual projects separately, whereas coastal environments are simultaneously affected by multiple pollution sources and development pressures. Therefore, Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA), as a complementary and advanced framework to EIA, can provide a more realistic understanding of the intensity, extent, and persistence of environmental consequences. Using a descriptive-analytical approach, this study examines the limitations of traditional EIA and highlights the necessity of adopting CIA in managing coastal cities of the Persian Gulf. The primary focus is coastal water pollution in Parsian, which results from the synergistic effects of urban wastewater, industrial effluents, surface runoff, port activities, and tourism-related waste. Findings indicate that reliance solely on project-based assessment cannot accurately reflect the actual environmental pressure imposed on coastal waters. Implementing a cumulative impact assessment framework is essential for protecting sensitive coastal ecosystems, improving water quality, reducing risks to human health, and achieving sustainable urban management.

کلیدواژه ها:

Coastal Cities ، Coastal Water Pollution ، Cumulative Impact Assessment ، Environmental Impact Assessment ، Persian Gulf