In this paper, we present a sustainable infrastructural planning using Geographic Information Systems (GISs) for vulnerability mapping of the Marand-Bazargan freeway in Iran. Literature acknowledges the negative environmental implications of road development projects and emphasises the significance of environmental impact assessment (EIA) in minimising these impacts. However, there is a lack of research on the effectiveness of GIS for road projects in Iran, with most studies focused on site selection and conducted outside the country. GIS has emerged as a powerful tool for environmental assessment and transportation planning. The analysis conducted detects vulnerable areas and determines the alignment with minimal negative impacts by overlaying maps and utilising ArcGIS Pro and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Integrating GIS and the Leopold Matrix enables a comprehensive analysis and ensures sustainable and environmentally-friendly infrastructure development in road construction projects of Iran. Limitations include the constraints geographic scope, AHP subjectivity, and limited range of experts, environmental factors and stakeholders’ viewpoints. Further, the use of Leopold Matrix to assess the environmental consequences of micro-activities would be expanded upon.

Authors: Titus Olaniyi, Neda Safarinejad

Published in: World Congress on Sustainable Technologies (WCST-2023)

• Date of Conference: 13-15 November 2023
• DOI: 10.20533/WCST.2023.0013
• ISBN: 978-1-913572-64-8
• Conference Location: St Anne’s College, Oxford University, UK