Model for environmental risk assessment of tourism project construction on the Egyptian Red Sea coast

An environmental risk assessment model was developed to evaluate the environmental risk associated with the construction of tourism projects along the Red Sea coast of Egypt. The model estimates the risk of causing environmental harm to existing ecological receptors, while considering the cumulative effect of different stressors and impacts. It combines risk assessment and environmental impact assessment (EIA) into a unified analysis process. It assists planners, cooperating with the EIA team, in the analysis of different planning alternatives, construction methods, and mitigation measures. It also assists decision makers in evaluating the submitted EIAs before issuing construction permits. The model is based on a specially designed network diagram that describes the intermediate links between construction activities and existing ecological receptors. Based on the model results, activities responsible for high risk levels could be tracked backward for better management, where the effect of different mitigation measures could be investigated.