Providing a Integrated Model of Environmental Pollution Management in Informal Settlements Based on DPSIR framework (Case Study: Mashhad City)

Today, informal settlements are a major indicator of the spread of unsustainable urbanization in the world. The environmental problems of these settlements are seriously intertwined with the economic and social aspects of human activities; DPSIR framework is a flexible approach that considers both economic and social factors as well as environmental factors in assessing environmental pollution. In this research with field survey based observation method, Meta-analysis of previous studies, Library studies and review of upstream documents, the main components of DPSIR were identified in the research topic; Then, using the semi-structured interview method with panel of experts based on the main extracted indicators, Their opinions are collected and then by extracting and categorizing the factors proposed by the experts and removing the overlaps with the primary factors extracted by the authors and combining synonymous items, final effective factors in environmental pollution of informal settlements of Mashhad were identified. Then, by analyzing the final factors, an integrated conceptual model of environmental pollution management in informal settlements of Mashhad was obtained. Population growth due to high Immigration rate to Mashhad and unbalanced spatial-physical development of informal settlements, social, cultural and economic characteristics of these settlements, along with low environmental literacy of residents and lack of good urban governance as the most important driving forces in creating the effects of environmental pollution in informal settlements of Mashhad were identified. In accordance with these works, policy making and planning responses were provided in order to create a situation of sustainable development of these settlements.