Environmental Impact Assessment of Chamkhaleh Port Construction Using RIAM Matrix Method

The present study aimed to investigate the environmental impacts of construction of Chamkhaleh port in both construction and opration phases using the RIAM matrix method. The research method was descriptive-analytical. The required information were collected by reviewing the project assessment report, library studies, field observations and interviews. The statistical population was 8840 people from Chaf and Chamkhaleh city in 1395. Then the importance of impacts of the port construction was determined using a rapid impact assessment matrix. The innovation of the study was environmental impact assessment before the implementation of the project in order to predict the impacts. The results showed that the project in both construction and opration phases has significant positive impacts on social and economic sectors such as creating jobs, increasing incomes, improving the transport system, increasing investment in the region and access to goods and services and the most important negative   effects of the project are in the physical and biological environment, such as causing air pollution, noise pollution, water quality changes, loss of soil properties and the effects on plant and animal life. The negative effects could be controlled by limiting dredging operations in critical periods of animal life and vegetation development in the area of harbor.