Rapid growth of human activities and infrastructure along Iran’s southern coasts, combined with the absence of a coherent framework for continuous environmental monitoring, has increased the need for applied, science-based assessment tools. This study evaluates and spatially zones the environmental status of coastal areas in Bandar Abbas, Minab, and Sirik using an integrated approach that combines multi-criteria decision-making models, statistical analyses, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). An integrated framework, termed DPPD, was developed to assess and classify coastal environmental conditions.Indicators aligned with the DPSIR (Driving Forces–Pressures–State–Impacts–Responses) framework were first identified and quantified over a ten-year period (2006–2016). Rates of change were calculated to capture temporal trends. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Path Analysis (PA) were applied to examine relationships among driving forces, pressures, environmental conditions, impacts, and responses. Structural interactions were further analyzed using the DEMATEL model. To improve spatial precision, hexagonal units were implemented within the GIS environment. Environmental carrying capacity was determined through a weighted composite index and corresponding zoning maps.Results show that the composite environmental carrying capacity index was 0.55 for Bandar Abbas, 0.35 for Minab, and 0.25 for Sirik, indicating higher development-related pressures in Bandar Abbas. DEMATEL analysis identified urban and industrial development as the most influential factor, with a weight of 0.982 Overall, the DPPD model proves to be a practical quantitative tool for environmental monitoring, management prioritization, and sustainable coastal development planning.