A Model for the Social Impacts Assessment in Iran's Oil and Gas Industry

Long experience in implementation of developmental measures based on an economic approach and without considering the environmental, cultural and social impacts of these practices has not been desirable. However, it has been found that developmental measures do not meet their goals unless specific social conditions have been provided. As the social impact assessment of developmental measures in our country has been brought into focus in different fields, it is important that appropriate models and processes should be designed. The main purpose of this article is to develop a model and guideline for social impact assessment in oil and gas projects in Iran. The method used in this paper is documentary and comparative. We, first, reviewed the general principles of social impact assessment. Then, the social issues resulted from oil industry projects in oil fields have been identified and, considering the country’s condition and the oil facilities host regions, a suitable model has been offered. Considering the range of issues that oil industry can face, there is a good opportunity for the development of social impact assessment in oil industry projects. Expanding a suitable model for this purpose can promote the efficiency of this field of study, leads to industrial development management and support its function in other different developmental actions.