Legal Framework for Responding to Environmental Hazards in Coastal Protected Areas: A Review of Domestic and International Regulations

Abstract

Given the increasing occurrence of hazards threatening the valuable ecosystems of coastal-marine protected areas, the protection of biodiversity, public health, safety, and sustainable development in these regions has become ever more critical. Despite this, no comprehensive research has yet been conducted on the legal status governing coastal-marine protected areas in Iran. Although numerous studies exist in the transnational scholarly literature, few address a legal model specifically aligned with risk science in relation to these areas. The aim of this article is to, while taking into account the principles of risk science and its underlying preventive approach, analyze existing regulations and propose a differential legal model tailored to the specific needs of coastal-marine protected areas in Iran. These areas face a multitude of hazards threatening their health and safety, and yet coastal protected regions in the north and south of the country—despite their breadth—receive minimal protective attention. The legal framework for protecting coastal areas against hazards necessarily encompasses both terrestrial environmental protection regulations and those governing aquatic zones. Neglect by policymakers and responsible authorities in implementing domestic legal obligations and advanced international guidelines in either of these domains can result in irreparable damage. Leveraging international experience in protecting existing coastal protected areas and transferring such knowledge into national frameworks is essential and may help resolve some of the prevailing issues. Notably, in Iran’s domestic law, the prevailing executive-legal approach narrowly focuses on pollution-based threats to coastal-marine protected areas and even that in a fragmented manner. However, many of the hazards that threaten these regions are not limited to pollution alone; legal frameworks have largely overlooked threats to biodiversity and the vital natural resources within these habitats.