Biodiversity in Environmental Assessment: Enhancing Ecosystem Services for Human Well-Being (Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation)

"Human induced development activities are introduced with insufficient attention to their consequences for our living environment, even in cases where environmental assessments have been carried out. This apparent lack of attention to biodiversity in environmental assessment is rooted in the difficulties we have in adequately addressing biodiversity within the scope, time frame and budget allocated for assessments. This book provides a conceptual background and practical approaches to overcome these difficulties. It integrates the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, its ecosystem approach, and the conceptual framework of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment into a comprehensive approach to biodiversity in environmental assessment. It highlights the need to consider the value of biodiversity based on its use by each stakeholder, addresses the importance of both social and economic development to reach the Millennium Development Goals, and provides insights into ways to balance present and future needs"--Provided by publisher. Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 4 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Contents......Page 9 Contributors......Page 11 Foreword......Page 13 Preface......Page 15 Abbreviations......Page 18 Part I Setting the stage......Page 21 1 Introduction......Page 23 Organisation of the book......Page 26 Summary of chapters......Page 27 Introduction......Page 34 The biodiversity convention: a broad view......Page 35 The Ecosystem approach: biodiversity and humankind are inseparable entities......Page 45 Identifying relevant biodiversity-related issues......Page 54 Aspects of biodiversity provide focus to describe impacts......Page 61 Composition: what there is and how abundant it is (see Box 2.10)......Page 63 Structure: how biological units are organised in time and space......Page 65 Key processes: processes of key importance for the creation and/or maintenance of ecosystems......Page 70 The challenge: linking impacts on biodiversity to ecosystem services......Page 72 Introduction......Page 79 Biodiversity and development: conflicting goals or complementary objectives?......Page 80 Conserving biodiversity for sustainable development: priorities and challenges......Page 83 Challenges for impact assessment......Page 86 Biodiversity, human security, and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)......Page 88 MDG-1: Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger......Page 89 MDG-2: Achieve universal primary education......Page 91 MDG-3: Promote gender equality and empower women......Page 92 MDG-5: Improve maternal health......Page 94 MDG-6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases......Page 95 MDG-7: Ensure environmental sustainability......Page 96 Linking biodiversity and climate change......Page 97 Conclusions......Page 100 What is to be sustained (e.g. the perpetuity of benefits from biodiversity and ecosystems within project area?)......Page 101 What is to be developed (e.g. economic benefits?)......Page 102 How is the sustainability of resources linked to the processes that define development?......Page 103 Part II Assessment tools......Page 105 Introduction......Page 107 History of the framework......Page 109 Three subsystems......Page 111 The biophysical subsystem: supply of ecosystem services......Page 114 The societal subsystem: stakeholders and the demand for ecosystem services......Page 117 Stakeholders......Page 118 Values......Page 120 Linkages to the MA framework......Page 121 Activities and effects: direct drivers of change......Page 123 Impacts on ecosystem services and human well-being......Page 128 Social effects and social impacts......Page 131 Complex problems and boundary crossing......Page 132 Knowledge: salience, credibility, and legitimacy......Page 133 Interdisciplinarity: boundary concepts, boundary objects, and boundary settings......Page 135 Boundary concepts......Page 136 Boundary objects......Page 137 Boundary settings......Page 139 Conclusion: the importance of boundary work......Page 140 Appendix to Chapter 4: indicative list of ecosystem services......Page 141 Introduction......Page 145 Origins and early development of EIA and SEA......Page 146 Generally accepted procedural framework, with existing variations......Page 149 Effectiveness of EIA......Page 152 State of the art: what is needed for effective EIA?......Page 156 Current thinking......Page 157 Parallel to or integrated within a planning process?......Page 159 SEA is not EIA......Page 161 Effectiveness of SEA......Page 162 State of the art: what is needed for effective SEA?......Page 165 New thinking and challenges in EIA and SEA......Page 167 Introduction......Page 174 Treatment of biodiversity in EIA: the experience so far......Page 176 Existing guidance for inclusion of biodiversity in EIA......Page 178 Mainstreaming biodiversity in EIA: a stepwise explanation......Page 184 Screening......Page 185 Step 1......Page 192 Step 2......Page 193 Step 3......Page 194 Scoping......Page 195 Suggested approach for incorporating biodiversity in scoping......Page 198 Alternatives and mitigation......Page 200 Impact analyses......Page 205 Reporting......Page 210 Review......Page 212 Decision making......Page 213 Follow-up......Page 215 Appendix 6A: Indicative set of screening criteria to be further elaborated at national level......Page 218 Appendix 6B: Mitigation hierarchy and illustrative examples of various approaches and options......Page 219 Biodiversity in SEA: a new field of expertise......Page 225 The approach in this chapter......Page 231 Views on SEA and biodiversity......Page 234 Why special attention to biodiversity in SEA?......Page 236 Ecological reasons......Page 237 Reasons linked to social and economic development......Page 238 Formal legal obligations......Page 240 Practical reason — Facilitation of stakeholder identification......Page 243 Biodiversity 'triggers' for SEA......Page 244 Trigger 1: The area influenced by the policy, plan, or programme provides important ecosystem services......Page 249 Trigger 2: The policy, plan, or programme is concerned with interventions producing direct drivers of change......Page 251 Triggers 1 and 2 combined: activities and intervention area both defined......Page 253 Trigger 3: Interventions as indirect drivers of change......Page 262 Dealing with uncertainty......Page 265 Conclusions......Page 268 Part III Emerging issues......Page 273 Background......Page 275 Biodiversity offset: Concept and definition......Page 276 Policy context......Page 277 Legal and regulatory provisions......Page 279 Voluntary approaches......Page 283 Objectives of implementing biodiversity offsets......Page 284 Relevance of biodiversity offset as a mainstreaming instrument......Page 286 Demarking sites of conservation importance to ensure protection......Page 288 Removal of threats......Page 290 Market-based approaches for biodiversity offsets......Page 291 Subsidies, grants, and funds......Page 292 Bond and funds for mitigating anticipated impacts......Page 294 Acquisition of land with high conservation values through open land markets......Page 295 Payments for conservation and management of biodiversity......Page 296 Creating markets for biodiversity conservation......Page 297 Framework and ground rules for implementing offsets......Page 298 Challenges in implementing biodiversity offsets......Page 300 Identifying conservation strategies that make an offset......Page 301 Defining the appropriateness of scales and location......Page 302 The problem of defining currency to assess gains from offsets......Page 303 Barriers for implementing offsets......Page 304 Conclusion......Page 305 Introduction......Page 307 Influential cases......Page 309 Valuation of ecosystem services......Page 324 Identification and recognition......Page 326 Quantification of ecosystem services......Page 327 Societal valuation......Page 329 Economic valuation......Page 330 Market prices......Page 333 Replacement cost......Page 334 Production function......Page 335 Hedonic pricing......Page 336 Contingent valuation......Page 337 Choice modelling......Page 338 Recognising ecosystem services: a first step towards more transparent and engaged decision making......Page 340 Methodological complexities do not necessarily hinder influential decision making......Page 341 Insight in the distribution of ecosystem service benefits, highlight, poverty, and equity issues......Page 343 SEA and planning processes are enhanced by the identification and quantification of ecosystem services......Page 344 Decision making supported by relevant information......Page 345 Valuing ecosystem services directly facilitates sustainability......Page 346 Climate change......Page 348 Stakeholder participation: the ecosystem approach in practice......Page 349 Capacity development and institutional issues......Page 351 Sustainability assessment, integrated assessment, and more......Page 352 West Delta Water Conservation and Irrigation Rehabilitation Project, Egypt......Page 354 Introduction to the case......Page 355 Context of the case study: the planning process......Page 356 Assessment context......Page 357 Ecosystem services and valuation......Page 358 Decision making......Page 360 SEA boundary conditions......Page 361 Aral Sea Wetland Restoration Strategy......Page 363 Context of the case study: the planning process......Page 364 Assessment context......Page 365 Ecosystem services and valuation......Page 366 Valuation of ecosystem services in the CBA of the pilot programme......Page 369 Decision making......Page 370 SEA boundary conditions......Page 371 Context of the case study: the planning process......Page 372 Assessment context......Page 373 Ecosystem services and valuation......Page 374 Decision making......Page 376 Context of the case study: the planning process......Page 378 Ecosystem services and valuation......Page 379 Climate policies and the Stern Review......Page 381 Context of the case study: the planning process......Page 382 Ecosystem services and valuation......Page 383 Decision making......Page 385 Introduction to the case......Page 388 Context of the case study: the planning process......Page 389 Assessment context......Page 390 Ecosystem services and valuation......Page 391 Decision making......Page 393 Introduction to the case......Page 394 Context of the case study: the planning process......Page 395 Ecosystem services and valuation......Page 397 Decision making......Page 399 Introduction to the case......Page 400 Context of the case study: the planning process......Page 401 Implementation of PES......Page 402 Funding sources for PES scheme......Page 403 Ecosystem services and valuation......Page 404 Introduction to the case......Page 407 Context of the case study: the planning process......Page 408 Ecosystem services and valuation......Page 409 Decision making......Page 411 Assessment context......Page 412 Replacement costs of birds and mammals......Page 413 Tourism industry......Page 415 Decision making......Page 416 References......Page 418 Index......Page 454 Machine generated contents note: Foreword Ahmed Djoghlaf (the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity); Preface; 1. Introduction Roel Slootweg, Asha Rajvanshi, Vinod B. Mathur and Arend Kolhoff; 2. Interpretation of biodiversity Roel Slootweg; 3. Biodiversity conservation and development: challenges for impact assessment Asha Rajvanshi and Vinod B. Mathur; 4. The impact assessment framework Roel Slootweg and Peter P. Mollinga; 5. Environmental assessment Arend Kolhoff, Bobbi Schijf, Rob Verheem and Roel Slootweg; 6. Biodiversity in environmental impact assessment Asha Rajvanshi, Vinod B. Mathur and Roel Slootweg; 7. Biodiversity-inclusive strategic environmental assessment Roel Slootweg; 8. Reconciling conservation and development: the role of biodiversity offsets Asha Rajvanshi and Vinod B. Mathur; 9. Valuation of ecosystem services: lessons from influential cases Pieter J. H. van Beukering and Roel Slootweg; Epilogue - issues in need of further exploration Roel Slootweg, Asha Rajvanshi, Vinod B. Mathur and Arend Kolhoff; References; Annex: valuation of ecosystem services: influential cases Pieter J.H. van Beukering, Roel Slootweg and Desire;e Immerzeel.

Human induced development activities are introduced with insufficient attention to their consequences for our living environment, even in cases where environmental assessments have been carried out. This apparent lack of attention to biodiversity in environmental assessment is rooted in the difficulties we have in adequately addressing biodiversity within the scope, time frame and budget allocated for assessments. This book provides a conceptual background and practical approaches to overcome these difficulties. It integrates the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, its ecosystem approach, and the conceptual framework of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment into a comprehensive approach to biodiversity in environmental assessment. It highlights the need to consider the value of biodiversity based on its use by each stakeholder, addresses the importance of both social and economic development to reach the Millennium Development Goals, and provides insights into ways to balance present and future needs.

Interpretation of biodiversity / Roel Slootweg Biodiversity conservation and development: challenges for impact assessment / Asha Rajvanshi and Vinod B. Mathur The impact assessment framework / Roel Slootweg and Peter P. Mollinga Environmental assessment / Arend Kolhoff ... [et al.] Biodiversity in environmental impact assessment / Asha Rajvanshi, Vinod B. Mathur, and Roel Slootweg Biodiversity-inclusive strategic environmental assessment / Roel Slootweg Reconciling conservation and development: the role of biodiversity offsets / Asha Rajvanshi and Vinod B. Mathur Valuation of ecosystem services: lessons from influential cases / Pieter van Beukering and Roel Slootweg Epilogue: topics in need of further elaboration / Roel Slootweg ... [et al.] Annex: valuation of ecosystem services: influential cases / Pieter van Beukering, Roel Slootweg, and Desirée Immerzeel.