Environmental Impact Assessment with Matrix and Multi-Criteria Evaluation (Case Study: Binalud County - Khorasan Razavi- Iran)

Shandiz_Torghabeh region is one of the most important tourism areas of Mashhad. So
many and different tourism projects were done or are doing in the region. Therefore the
environmental impacts this projects shall consider seriously to sustainable development
are seen in the tourism sector in this region. For quantitative assessment of the
environmental impacts of tourism project, Leopold matrix was designed with 30
activities and 50 environment factors. Then, with using of maps and qualitative and
quantitative features of region natural, social and cultural, each factor with each project
activity was compared and based on the impact spatial extent and magnitude was scored
with the range of numbers to -5. After completing the matrix, value numbers,
mathematical sum and values average were calculated for determine the extent and
magnitude of impacts. The tourism project impact on region environment is in range -
4/1 to -5. Also at this study, evaluation the potential of region for tourism development
is discussed with using of multi-criteria evaluated approach to name of weighted linear
combination method with the application of fuzzy technology and GIS. Finally the
matrix result was compared with region potential map for tourism. According to the
results of this study region potential for considered development is low and the
probability exist that the proposed tourism project create the intense and irreparable
impacts in the considered place.