Towards sustainable tourism: EIA of natural environment in Sawa lake using RIAM method.

Sustainable tourism is included in all sustainable development goals directly and indirectly as a significant aspect of achieving sustainability. Therefore, when planning any project, it becomes necessary to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) to increase the preservation of natural and built environments. One of these processes is the rapid impact assessment matrix (RIAM). Accordingly, the research used RIAM as an integrative tool to measure the potentialities of Sawa Lake to promote sustainable tourism. This method includes social and economic components in addition to environmental and physical elements and the possibility of future modification and re-assessment. The research found multiple positive and negative effects of the site and suggested some mitigating factors to move towards the chance of developing sustainable tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]