Urban River Rehabilitation: Environmental Impact Assessment on Ecosystem Sustainability and Water Resource Management (Case Study: Gorgrud River)

Abstract :

Environmental studies are among the fundamental pillars of river training projects, especially in urban and rural areas. This study aims to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the environmental impacts of constructing a coastal protection wall along the Gorgrud River, located in the southern part of Tonekabon County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. In this research, environmental impacts were evaluated during both the construction and operation phases, based on standardized checklists focusing on three major components: the physical environment, biological environment, and socio-economic and cultural environment. The checklists were developed using quantitative criteria, including impact intensity, duration, spatial extent, and reversibility. In total, three types of checklists were completed. The results indicated that during the construction phase, 80% of the negative impacts were related to the physical environment, all of which were short-term, direct, and reversible. Following the completion of construction activities, the intensity of negative impacts significantly decreased, while positive impacts became evident. During the operation phase, positive impacts dominated across all three components, with 80%, 75%, and 66.6% of the total impacts being evaluated as positive for the physical, biological, and socio-economic-cultural environments, respectively. Most of these positive impacts were characterized as long-term. To mitigate negative impacts and enhance positive outcomes, it is recommended to implement targeted management actions and monitoring programs with well-defined indicators. Accordingly, the implementation of the Gorgrud River training project is expected to contribute to measurable improvements in the environmental quality of the region

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