Geospatial Assessment of Suitable Areas for Residential Development along the Makran Coastal Strip, Southern Iran

Abstract

The geographical position of the Makran coastal strip has led this region to face an increasing population and physical development of residential areas in recent years. Considering that the Makran coasts face many natural limitations for the physical development of residential areas, identifying areas suitable for the development of settlements in this region is very important, which is addressed in this research. In this study, the 30-meter SRTM Digital Elevation Model, a 1: 100,000 geological maps, data related to earthquake epicenters occurring in the region from 1907 to 2024, MODIS and Google Earth images have been used as the main research data. The main research tools were Google Earth Engine, ArcGIS, and TerrSet. In this research, using 10 natural and human parameters, the relative weighting method, and the WLC model, areas suitable for the physical development of residential areas along the Makran coasts were identified. Based on the results, 34.1% of the area is classified as prohibited areas and lacks potential for the development of residential zones, while only 6.9% of the area, which mainly includes the outskirts of the cities of Negour, Chabahar, Konarak, and Jask, is suitable for urban development objectives. Given the obtained results, the Makran coastal strip face significant limitations for urban development goals, and therefore, special attention should be paid to the natural potentials of this region in the planning of residential area development.