Introduction: Despite their crucial role in preserving biodiversity, national parks and protected areas are becoming increasingly vulnerable due to growing human pressures, such as land-use change, the expansion of settlements, and local economic activities .The Sarigol national parks and protected areas, with their rich ecosystem and high biodiversity, are no exception. It faces serious local threats like mining, agriculture, and excessive livestock grazing, which endanger its long-term sustainability .
Therefore, a precise vulnerability assessment of this region, with a focus on local threat factors, is a management necessity. The primary objective of this research is to comprehensively analyze and evaluate the ecological vulnerability of the Sarigol Protected Area using the DPSIR model and to propose suitable management strategies to mitigate these threats.

Materials and Methods: This research employed a descriptive-analytical and mixed-methods approach to assess the vulnerability of the Sarigol Protected Area. The *DPSIR conceptual framework* was used to systematically analyze the interactions between human activities and the ecosystem. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire, which was designed based on the input of 20 local experts and specialists. The questionnaire items used a Likert scale to identify and prioritize the driving forces and environmental pressures .To ensure data reliability and validity, content and logical validity were confirmed through a Delphi process, and reliability was assessed using internal consistency measures.
The vulnerability assessment was conducted by quantitatively measuring the severity and probability of each threat, with the final score calculated as the product of these two metrics. Additionally, the area's values (ecological, hydrological, economic, and social) were rated based on their magnitude and significance. Finally, the overall vulnerability score was computed by simultaneously considering the threat score, the value score, and the impact of the threat on the value, and was categorized into three levels: low, medium, and high
Results: The DPSIR analysis identified seven key driving forces in the region: population growth, tourism development, expansion of rural settlements, agricultural and livestock activities, transportation infrastructure development, and mining activities. The threat assessment revealed that several high-risk factors, including road construction, illegal hunting, overgrazing, and deforestation, are endangering the area. Concurrently, the ecological value assessment confirmed the very high importance of the area's flora, fauna, and wildlife habitats. It was also found that traditional livestock farming has the highest economic value, yet overgrazing is a major threat—revealing a key paradox.
Discussion: The final vulnerability analysis confirmed the severe vulnerability of ecological values to transportation infrastructure, drought, deforestation, and livestock farming. These findings suggest that the intrinsic value of the ecosystem alone is not enough for its protection, and that the high vulnerability results from a lack of cohesive management and effective responses.
In conclusion, this study applied the DPSIR framework to assess the vulnerability of the Sarigol National Park and Protected Area, finding that it is caused by human driving forces and pressures such as overgrazing, deforestation, and infrastructure development. The results reveal a paradox between the area's high ecological value and its severe vulnerability due to a lack of integrated management. Therefore, the long-term sustainability of Sarigol will require the development of adaptive management strategies, attention to local livelihoods, and the decisive implementation of macro-level management responses.