CBD Guidelines on biodiversity

in EIA & SEA

Arend Kolhoff - NCEIA, Roel Slootweg - SevS,

Rob Verheem - NCEIA, Robert Höft - secretariat CBD

Contents presentation

• Proces

• Contents

• Review

• Discussion

Objectives

In response to CBD decision VI/7:

(a) Prepare guidelines on incorporating biodiversity

considerations in EIA providing full consideration of

all stages of the EIA process:

(b) Compile lessons learned from existing experiences

with SEA;

(c) Prepare guidelines on incorporating biodiversity

considerations in SEA.

Intention: replacement of decision VI/7 by a new set of

documents

Process 1

Phase 1: September 2004

• Case studies solicited on Biodiv in SEA

• Expand EIA guidelines

• Analysis of cases & outline of SEA guidelines

• Internal review

• First daft SEA guidelines

Phase 2: December 2004

• External review: invited BD & SEA practitioners

• Comments received through BD & SEA lists IAIA

• CBD launches web-based case studies database

• CBD Focal points invited for Internet discussion

• IAIA Boston: discussion on review comments

Process 2: finalising & beyond..

• Second draft EIA & SEA guidelines

• Distribution through lists

• IAIA Prague: final discussion SEA guidelines

• Presentation at SBSTTA (side event)

• Submission to CBD Conference of Parties

beyond present project:

• Integration into REC SEA manual, OECD-DAC wg on SEA,World Bank toolkit on SEA, MA (through CBD), FAO forestryEIA manual.

• Further implementation of action programme BD in IA

• CBBIA as effective & visible mechanism to support in-country initiatives and exchange of experiences

Completing EIA Guidelines

• 2002 - Base document: CBD decision VI/7A

“Draft guidelines for incorporating biodiversity-related issues into

environmental impact assessment legislation and/or processes and in

strategic environmental assessment “

• 2003 – SBSTTA/9/INF/18: Report on ongoing work.

Based on a summary of IAIA contributions containing

51 references.

• 2004 - IAIA Principles & Practise Series: Biodiversity

in IA + CBBIA & workshop discussions at IAIA

Vancouver

Contributions on SEA

• CBBIA (6):

– India (2), Nepal, Pakistan, RSA, SEA Guidance

• Projectteam (4):

– Bolivia, Netherlands (3)

• Contributions through IAIA (7):

– Belgium, EU trade IA, RSA (2), UK (3)

• Draft publications SEA special of JEAPM (4):

– Nepal, Netherlands, Sweden & RSA

Sector distribution:

– spatial planning (3), flood protection (3), roads (2), minerals

(2), forestry (2), power, water supply, energy, irrigation,

agriculture.

Review

• Invited SEA experts (5):

– Czech Republic, Netherlands, Portugal, UK (2x)

• Invited Biodiv experts (7):

– India, Central America, RSA (2), Sweden, UK (2)

• List responses (4):

– Cameroon, Canada, Lebanon, UK

Overall structure

1. Introduction– Background on CBD articles and decisions

2. How to interpret biodiversity– Introduction to non-biodiversity audience on how to treat

biodiversity in impact assessment from a CBD point of view

3. EIA Guidelines + Annexes: – structured according to internationally accepted procedural

steps

4. SEA Guidelines + Annexes– Elaborate background on SEA and the role/relevance of

biodiversity in impact assessment

– Structure linked to characteristics of PPPs, relevant to biodiversity

Review and frustrations of the editor

• This section is wonderful!

• Not accessible to non-

biodiversity people

• A monumental effort. You

have earned my almost

limitless admiration and

respect by actually pulling

together something that

makes sense!!! -

• This approach is not helpful.

• For a non-biodiversity

specialist not too

complicated to understand.

• There are clearly some

areas which are not so well

developed as others.

Comments on structure & terminology

Duplication of text boxes and annexes in EIA & SEA guidelines:

• Question: integrated document / stand-alonechapters?

MA terminology: more rigorous and clear in use

But: ecosystem services concept not used and/orappreciated in many parts of the world ; more functional approach in ecological sense.

• Question: fully consistent with MA or dovetailing two perspectives? (what is the audience?)

Impact assessment or environmental assessment??

• Glossary with definitions: OK

Comments on 2: how to interpret BD

• Overwhelming amount of info, little focus - show relevance to

impact assessment.

• Questions: do we need chapter 2 ?

• More on positive planning approach (is this an internationally

known concept?)

No net loss:

• (i) preserving irreplaceable and (ii) substitute replaceable.

• Impossible principle: focus on compensation.

Precautionary principle:

• More information; stress importance for biodiv

• Impossible to work with: there is always uncertainty

Cummulative impacts: stress it’s importance for regular EIA. OK

3: EIA guidelines - points of departure

• Internationally accepted sequence of steps

• Guidelines should be used when a national IA system

is being revised – the only chance for change.

• Consequently, focus on how to get biodiversity into

the process, not on how to do a biodiversity inclusive

assessment study (not a technical manual).

• Screening and scoping most important aspect of an

EIA system to guarantee a biodiversity inclusive

process.

Comments 3: EIA guidelines

Changes to 2002 version: simplification of screening criteria; expansion on later stages; delete SEA sections.

• Early stages OK – more needed on later stages: how to measure significance, examples of impacts (= guidance on the actual work); draw from available guidance.

• Better defined protected areas for screening.

• Differentiate (i) setting screening criteria, and (ii) doing the screening. Focus is on (i) only. (Discussion)

• Scoping: cost of alternatives / mitigation?

• Better highlight service: maintenance of biodiversity.

• (Scoping interpreted differently by UK people??)

SEA guidelines: points of departure

& points for discussion

Overarching question: how to better address biodiversity in SEA

• SEA process is leading: no seperate biodiversity process

• No pre-defined SEA procedure (different from EIA guidelines);

• Ecosystem approach: focus on people-nature interactions and

stakeholder involvement

• Harmonising with Millenium Ecosystem Assessment: ecosystem

services translate biodiversity into values for society (present &

future) (consistent terminology in EIA and SEA guidelines)

• Level of detail at which biodiversity can be described depends

on characteristics of the PPP under study

• These characteristics provide structuring principle for guidelines

– not intended to prescribe the entire SEA process

SEA: contents

1. Introduction

2. SEA, a family of tools

3. Why biodiversity-inclusive SEA – what difference

does it make to decision making?

4. Biodiversity and SEA: different perspectives

5. Is SEA needed from biodiversity perspective?

Biodiversity-inclusive screening

6. Is biodiversity attention required in SEA?

Biodiversity-inclusive scoping

SEA: different perspectives

• Biodiversity part of the voiceless environment = western perspective

• Biodiversity for social and economic well-being = developing countries perspective

• Merging perspectives = opposing views are disappearing

• Time & space = planning & biodiv horizons differ

Comments:

• this section is wonderfull versus not helfull/simplistic

• reviewers with BD background are uneasy with this section

SEA situations:

relate to characteristics of the PPP

1. Geographical delineation possible:

– Area-related info allow for mapping of ecosystem services &stakeholders

2. Known interventions with concrete biophysical consequences:

– direct drivers of change show potential impacts; define sensitive

biodiversity.

3. Both geographical area and intervention known:

– impacts on aspects of biodiversity (composition, structure, key processes)

can be predicted

4. No concrete biophysical consequences or very large scale

– indirect drivers of change & modelling (MA); identify linkages between

indirect and direct drivers of change.

SEA situations: comments

• The situations may induce

less familiar users to think

that these are the 4 possible

situations that occur in

relation to SEA and

biodiversity, which is not

correct.

• The situations described are

rather artificial (in practice,

many PPPs may feature

their combinations); quite

difficult to use in the SEA

practice.

• Rather describe them

irrespective of the type of

PPP

Monetising biodiversity ?

SEA: guidelines stop at scoping?

• The single reference to

screening and scoping, the

first two typical activities of

an EIA process may lead

people to wait to see the

remaining stages!! Why not

talking about objectives,

understanding the problem,

etc.?

• Were are sections on

assessment, monitoring,

decision-making?

• The guidelines end very

abruptly - include other steps

• Does not address remaining

elements of SEA

The different approach used in the EIA guidance and in the SEA

guidance was noted and appreciated. It is important, for the

purpose of enhancing the different role of SEA in decision-making

that guidance will direct mind mapping in different ways.

SEA: general comments on contents

Better explore links with NBSAP’s

• Do NBSAPs provide the expected benefits? (it only

appeared in the UK cases)

When NOT to include biodiversity:

• extremely opposing views on the need for this box.

Do more with IAIA SEA Performance criteria?

Interesting reading but no guidance. Does not provide

clear principles for dealing with biodiversity (no net

loss, carying capacity, home ranges, etc.).

• Isn’t chapter 2 providing this?

Assessment framework needed in main text (figures

from annex).

4: SEA: style & structure

Length of text: too long.

• “Is SEA explanation needed” versus move “SEA/EIA tables to main text”

Use of cases: “reduce text by moving to annex”; “put in boxes”; “cases merit more elaboration”.

• Suggested: Put in boxes in main text

Style

• SEA chapter specialised/academic/theoretical language

• Interesting as it leads towards actual thinking on SEA as opposed to SEA born on EIA grounds and common readings.

2nd order

biophysical

change

(on soil, water, air,

flora, fauna)

2nd ordersocial change

Intervention

physical

social

Impacts

on ecosystem

services

Range of

influence in

space and time

social impacts

changes in economic,

social and ecological

values of services

Indirect drivers

of change

MA framework

Focus: Ecosystem Services

The benefits people obtain from ecosystems

Focus: Consequences of Ecosystem Change

for Human Well-being

Direct

Drivers

Indirect

Drivers

Ecosystem

Services

Human

Well-being

Direct Drivers of Change� Changes in land use � Species introduction or removal� Technology adaptation and use� External inputs (e.g., irrigation) � Resource consumption� Climate change� Natural physical and biological drivers (e.g., volcanoes)

Indirect Drivers of Change� Demographic� Economic (globalization, trade, market and policy framework)

� Sociopolitical (governance and institutional framework)

� Science and Technology� Cultural and Religious

Human Well-being and

Poverty Reduction� Basic material for a good life� Health� Good Social Relations� Security� Freedom of choice and action