Analysis of the Environmental State of Mashhad City using DPSIR Model

Destruction of the natural and human environment as a result of population growth, industrialization, and the development of cities has now become a big challenge for cities, especially metropolises, and has turned cities into the focus of environmental policies. Considering that the metropolis of Mashhad suffers from all kinds of pollution and environmental problems, any appropriate action to manage this situation and solve the problems would be based on the recognition of visible and hidden triggers that cause the situation and their effective mechanism. This study aimed to explore the situation of Mashhad city using DPSIR model as one of the proposed models for environmental cause-effect analysis. The statistical population of the study is Mashhad city based on seven dimensions studied in the environmental development document of Mashhad city (2016). After identifying DPSIR factors for each dimension, the most important and effective factors were identified, and then based on the finalized factors, cause-effect analysis was performed. The results showed that the expansion of urbanization, urban population growth, migration and marginalization, industrial growth and development, lifestyle and tendency towards greater well-being, rapid development of technology, climate change, and the lack of integrated urban and environmental management are the most important driving forces that have led to responses in a series of cause-effect relationships.