Nay-Band Coastal - Marine National Park; Missed Opportunity for Iran

Nayaband coastal protected area with approximately 49815 ha area, south of Iran, was the best opportunity to became the first and only Iranian coastal-marine national park due to its special geographical location and ecological characteristics. However, with the establishing of natural gas extraction facilities in its neighboring as the largest and most important energy zone in Iran, since 1997, and the emergence of extensive environmental impacts of the project activities, today this opportunity should be considered forever to be lost. In this paper, the criteria for site selection of coastal-marine national parks have been determined through a literature review and then the ecological characteristics of the study area compared with these criteria. The most important criteria for site selection of coastal-marine national parks are biodiversity (including both species and habitat diversity) and ecological integrity. Based on the results Nayband coastal protected area benefits a diversity of habitats including mangrove forest habitats, river estuaries, creeks, coral reefs, small gulfs, tidal zones, sandy and rocky beaches, coastal lagoons and terrestrial savanna likes habitats. This diverse habitats encompass more than 300 species including plants, mammalian, aquatic and terrestrial birds, amphibians, reptiles, fishes, shrimps, lobsters, oysters, gastropods and corals species, and maybe more unknown species from invertebrates and insects. Overall, the study area in terms of biodiversity criteria could earn points for assigning the title of “National Park”. Nevertheless, unfortunately, because of the development and industrial activities in the onshore and offshore, the second criteria, ecological integrity, has been affected drastically. Disturbing upstream-downstream surface runoff, blocking migratory corridors, receiving air and water pollutants, constructing bridges and closing or tightening water entrance of creeks have been led to the deterioration of ecological integrity. That is, the opportunity of establishing the first and only Marine – Coastal National Park of Iran has been lost.