Consideration Of Cumulative Effects Research Articles

Perception and consideration of cumulative effects and multiple stressors by marine managers in Canada

The cumulative effects of multiple stressors are a pressing global concern for marine ecosystems. The effectiveness of marine management can be improved by considering three key elements that can affect their impacts: stressor interaction types, non-linear stressor–effect relationships, and ecosystem tipping points. Little is known about the degree to which cumulative effects, or these key elements, are considered in marine management in Canada. We surveyed Canadian federal government managers involved in managing either marine conservation areas or commercial fisheries, and asked (1) if they currently assess cumulative effects in decision-making, (2) if so, how and which elements are considered, and (3) the perceived importance of considering the three key elements. We also compared approaches among federal departments, management type, oceans, experience levels, and position types. We found that most managers (84%, n = 80) consider cumulative effects in decision-making. Responses clustered into either a structured approach, which included using an assessment framework and considering the three key elements of cumulative effects, or an intuitive approach, characterized by the absence of a formal framework or consideration of key elements. Neither was strongly linked with demographic categories. Despite most managers (97%, n = 37) believing that the three key elements of cumulative effects are important to consider, only 21% actually did so in decision-making. This discrepancy appears to be underpinned by barriers such as a lack of guidelines for assessing cumulative effects and data quality, quantity, and availability. We provide recommendations to overcome these challenges.

Mapping potential effects of proposed roads on migratory connectivity for a highly mobile herbivore using circuit theory.

Migration is common worldwide as species access spatiotemporally varying resources and avoid predators and parasites. However, long‐distance migrations are increasingly imperiled due to development and habitat fragmentation. Improved understanding of migratory behavior has implications for conservation and management of migratory species, allowing identification and protection of seasonal ranges and migration corridors. We present a technique that applies circuit theory to predict future effects of development by analyzing season‐specific resistance to movement from anthropogenic and natural environmental features across an entire migratory path. We demonstrate the utility of our approach by examining potential effects of a proposed road system on barren ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) and subsistence hunters in northern Alaska. Resource selection functions revealed migratory selection by caribou. We tested five scenarios relating habitat selection to landscape resistance using Circuitscape and GPS telemetry data. To examine the effect of potential roads on connectivity of migrating animals and human hunters, we compared current flow values near communities in the presence of proposed roads. Caribou avoided dense vegetation, rugged terrain, major rivers, and existing roads in both spring and fall. A negative linear relationship between resource selection and landscape resistance was strongly supported for fall migration while spring migration featured a negative logarithmic relationship. Overall patterns of caribou connectivity remained similar in the presence of proposed roads, though reduced current flow was predicted for communities near the center of current migration areas. Such data can inform decisions to allow or disallow projects or to select among alternative development proposals and mitigation measures, though consideration of cumulative effects of development is needed. Our approach is flexible and can easily be adapted to other species, locations and development scenarios to expand understanding of movement behavior and to evaluate proposed developments. Such information is vital to inform policy decisions that balance new development, resource user needs, and preservation of ecosystem function.

Bridging Silos: A Research Agenda for Local Environmental Health Initiatives.

The environment and public health are managed by separate institutions that often operate in isolation from each other. This system is often referred to as managing in "silos." The resulting lack of coordination, inadequate consideration of cumulative effects, and diffuse targets for change contribute to the persistence of many environmental justice problems. There are many barriers to bridging these silos, particularly at state and federal levels. Local collaborations, however, may have greater potential for changing these systems. There has been limited assessment of successful local environmental health initiatives. This paper explores three case studies of local collaboration: lead poisoning prevention in Rochester, New York; promoting a healthy and equitable built environment in Duluth, Minnesota; and increasing consideration of community health in decisions around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California. It develops a research agenda to inform future collaborations to improve environmental health equity through local systems change.

A practical framework for implementing and evaluating integrated management of marine activities

Despite frequent calls for Integrated Management (IM) of coastal and marine activities, there is no consensus on the ‘recipe’ for successful adoption and implementation, and there has been insufficient evaluation of successes and failures of IM to date. The primary rationale for IM is to overcome four major deficiencies of sector-based management: a) management of diverse activities by different agencies using different approaches, b) management generally focused on a subset of primarily ecological objectives that do not properly articulate or evaluate social, cultural, economic and institutional objectives, c) no mechanisms to evaluate or advise on trade-offs among objectives of activities in relation to objectives and d) no mechanisms to evaluate the cumulative effects of all managed activities. To help overcome this gap in knowledge, here we draw on our collective experiences working in Australia and Canada to develop and articulate a framework to help guide the practical implementation and evaluation of IM, which we define as: ‘An approach that links (integrates) planning, decision-making and management arrangements across sectors in a unified framework, to enable a more comprehensive view of sustainability and the consideration of cumulative effects and trade-offs.’We argue that IM will be most easily and effectively achieved by linking and modifying existing sector-based plans in an overarching IM initiative that has nine key features: 1) Recognition of need for IM, 2) A shared vision by stakeholders and decision-makers for IM, 3) Appropriate legal and institutional frameworks for coordinated decision-making, 4) Sufficient and effective processes for stakeholder engagement and participation, 5) A common and comprehensive set of operational objectives, 6) Explicit consideration of trade-offs and cumulative impacts, 7) Flexibility to adapt to changing conditions, 8) Processes for ongoing review and refinement, and 9) Effective resourcing, capacity, leadership and tools. Drawing on these features we then articulate a process for the implementation and evaluation of IM that recognises five phases: i) Preconditions and drivers of change, ii) Intentional design and institutional rearrangement, iii) Enablers and disablers iv) An implemented IM process, and v) Review of IM performance and modification. Combination of the nine features of IM with the five phases in IM development provides a framework for implementation and a lens for evaluation of IM processes. We suggest that this framework provides a guide to the appropriate design of practical IM, which will assist in overcoming the current management deficiencies and improve the sustainability of marine resources in the face of change.

Implementing next generation assessment: A case example of a global challenge

IA regime design has evolved significantly over the past 50 years. Current thinking includes a package of next generation approaches such as the incorporation of requirements for regional and strategic IA, the consideration of cumulative effects and alternatives, and the inclusion of sustainability criteria and trade-off rules for decision makers. These suggested changes to IA design largely come from the recognition, through experience, of the weaknesses with current IA laws and regulations and needs to accommodate new understandings, for example about sustainability and complexity. Here, we reiterate the key generic components of next generation assessment that are broadly suitable for application in all jurisdictions with at least moderate assessment capacities, focusing on the necessary process requirements that could be captured in IA law, regulation and policy. Through an illustrative case example of Manitoba, Canada, we show how the components of next generation assessment might be implemented as a package in the context of an existing IA regime. Our application of these principles reveals the value of careful consideration of the current legislative frame as well as needs to cooperate with other jurisdictions. It shows, for example, the importance of experience with using streams of assessment and ensuring meaningful public participation. We conclude that many jurisdictions are likely to find moving consistently to this more comprehensive form of assessment to be a natural progression and that the greatest challenges will probably be in building interjurisdictional cooperation, ensuring good faith application of the sustainability criteria in decision making, and implementing regional and strategic assessments.

Consideration of cumulative effects in concrete structures at low temperatures impact

The design of reinforced concrete elements for a determined service life in severe climatic conditions should provide an additional resilience resource in accordance with their serviceability limit state. For its statistical justification, it is proposed to use dynamic models of the change in freezing and thawing cycles (FTC) of reliability index β, and, as its minimum (at most) permissible value, the value corresponding to the required level of reliability. Statistically representative experimental data of kinetics are presented for FTC of index β, determined from the change in various controlled parameters of strength and deformability of concrete.

Análise da qualidade dos estudos de impacto ambiental no estado do Espírito Santo (2007-2013)

Tendo em vista a necessidade de evidências que orientem o aperfeiçoamento da prática da Avaliação de Impacto Ambiental (AIA) e considerando a escassez de trabalhos dessa natureza no contexto brasileiro, este trabalho tem como principal contribuição uma análise sistemática da qualidade de Estudos de Impacto Ambiental (EIA) submetidos ao processo de licenciamento ambiental. Deste modo, utilizou-se como objeto empírico de pesquisa o sistema de AIA do Estado do Espírito Santo, tendo sido analisados 21 EIAs submetidos entre 2007 e 2013, equivalente a 57% do total de estudos desse tipo encaminhados ao órgão licenciador no período. Os estudos contemplam projetos públicos e privados, englobando as atividades de petróleo e gás, usinas termoelétricas, portos, linhas de transmissão, pequenas centrais hidrelétricas, siderurgia, estradas, empreendimentos imobiliários e aterros sanitários. A análise de qualidade foi realizada conforme o modelo Lee and Colley Review Package, amplamente aplicado e reconhecido na literatura internacional. A análise dos resultados revela aspectos que devem ser aprimorados, uma vez que estão diretamente relacionados à efetividade da AIA praticada no Estado: a identificação e a avaliação de impactos relevantes, especialmente na associação entre o impacto determinado e a linha de base; a consideração de impactos cumulativos; a previsão de magnitude e a avaliação da significância dos impactos. Como pontos positivos, destacam-se a descrição do ambiente e a apresentação das informações. Ainda que os resultados indiquem semelhança com outros contextos, é possível afirmar que a qualidade da informação apresentada ao órgão licenciador é baixa, dificultando a sua análise e possivelmente contribuindo para uma baixa efetividade da AIA no Estado.

EIA legislation and sustainable development of oil sands projects in Madagascar: a critical assessment

Madagascar is said to have the second largest oil sands deposits in Africa and the seventh in the world. Unlike other African countries (like Angola, Nigeria and the Republic of the Congo) with confirmed oil sands deposits, Madagascar is said to have reached advanced stages in the development of its own deposits. This article considers Madagascar’s readiness for the sustainable development of its oil sands deposits, focusing specifically on the role of environmental impact assessments (EIAs) in achieving sustainable development in Madagascar. Although Madagascar is one of the few countries in Sub-Saharan Africa that seems to have mainstreamed the environment into many of its sectoral policies and programmes, given the extreme environmental risks posed by oil sands development, it is essential to ask whether EIA legislation in Madagascar provides for sufficient environmental scrutiny to promote sustainable development of oil sands projects. This article identifies loopholes in Madagascar's EIA legislation capable of undermining the ability of Madagascar to develop its oil sands in a sustainable manner. The loopholes relate to the criteria for determining whether an oil sands extraction activity shall be subject to an EIA, the consideration of cumulative effects and the rights of the Malagasy public to participate in EIA processes in Madagascar.

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT — COMPARING THE UNITED STATES AND GERMANY

Germany and the United States are amongst the leading countries regarding installed renewable energy capacity and are steadily adding new facilities. As balancing the strive for a low carbon energy supply with other environmental interests, such as biodiversity conservation, becomes more prevalent with increasing numbers of wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and hydro-power facilities, the call for a strategic-level consideration of environmental impacts (SEA) becomes louder. The paper compares the practice of SEAs for renewable energy plans, programmes, and policies in terms of discussion of alternatives, consideration of cumulative effects, and public involvement. A case study analysis compares SEAs from Germany and the United States and evaluates their performance.Results indicate large differences between both countries, with Germany performing less well on average. Therefore, a strong need for improvement becomes obvious. A general conclusion is that both countries need to become more open to strategic assessment of environmental impacts from renewable energy policies, strategies, and legislation (policy SEA), in order to allow for meaningful assessment of alternatives and achieve an environmentally sound low carbon future.

Caribou conservation and recovery in Ontario: development and implementation of the Caribou Conservation Plan

The range of Ontario’s woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) (forest-dwelling ecotype) has receded northward substantially over many decades, leading to its current Threatened designation. Ontario released its Caribou Conservation Plan (CCP) in the fall of 2009. This policy responded to public input and recommendations from the Ontario Woodland Caribou Recovery Team and the Caribou Science Review Panel, and outlines conservation and recovery actions to conserve and recover caribou. Within an adaptive management framework, the CCP builds upon a recent history of managing at large landscape scales in Ontario to implement a range management approach as the basis for recovery actions. These commitments and actions include enhanced research and monitoring, improved caribou habitat planning at the landscape scale, an integrated range analysis approach using advanced assessment tools to evaluate thresholds of habitat amount, arrangement and disturbance, the assessment of probability of persistence, consideration of cumulative effects, meeting forest management silvicultural performance requirements, consideration of caribou recovery implications when managing other wildlife, an initial focus on the southern edge of caribou distribution where threats are most significant, improved outreach and stewardship, and consideration of Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge in recovery actions. Implementation of the CCP signifies a long-term provincial commitment to caribou recovery, initially focusing on identified priorities within the CCP.

Integrating cumulative effects assessment into UK strategic planning: implications of the European Union SEA Directive

This paper considers several options for addressing cumulative effects in strategic planning, one of which is through strategic environmental assessment (SEA). The adoption of the EU Directive on the assessment of effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment and its future incorporation into UK law by 2004 will have implications for the consideration of cumulative effects in strategic planning. An interview survey of 28 government regulators, experts, practitioners and planners revealed current understanding of cumulative effects, what cumulative effects issues could be addressed at the various planning levels and how they may be addressed through SEA. The findings helped inform the development of a framework for integrating cumulative effects assessment into the SEA and plan-making process. The proposed framework identifies key steps and activities in the SEA process to address cumulative effects.

New Directions in the Use of Remotely Sensed Data for Cumulative Impact Assessment

Consideration of cumulative effects as part of the environmental impact assessment process is seen as an essential element to ensure a complete determination of impact significance. These effects, ...

Cumulative effects assessment: A review of UK environmental impact statements

The consideration of cumulative effects in environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been required in the UK, though somewhat ambiguously, since the EC Directive (85/337/EEC) was implemented in 1988. This paper describes the results of a review of cumulative effects considerations in 50 UK environmental impact statements (EISs) prepared for a variety of project types produced between 1989 and 2000. The results of the review suggest that cumulative effects are far from thoroughly addressed. Only 24 EISs (48%) mentioned the term ‘cumulative effects/impacts’ and only 9 EISs (18%) provided a discussion, which were mostly qualitative. The problems in addressing these issues are explored, and the main findings include the various interpretations of the concept of cumulative effects and the varied treatment of cumulative effects issues. Where cumulative effects are considered in the scoping stage, this led to a further discussion or analysis of these effects. The research concludes that for a better consideration of cumulative effects, an effective driving force would be the local planning authority (and other competent authorities) requiring developers during the scoping process to address cumulative effects and so help meet the most recent strengthened legal requirements of the EC EIA Amendment Directive 97/11/EC and UK Regulations. More tailored guidance for developers and authorities alike is needed for this to happen.

Addressing future actions in cumulative effects assessment

Consideration of cumulative effects within the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process in the United States involves an analysis of the proposed action in view of past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions (RFFAs) in the related environs. In EIA practice in the US, over 40 court cases have involved cumulative effects, and many of them have hinged on RFFAs. This paper summarizes the lessons learned, including contradictions, and inconsistencies, from the relevant court cases. Such lessons can form the basis for systematic criteria to determine when any possible future action becomes a RFFA, thus necessitating its inclusion in cumulative effects considerations. An eight-step conservative determination method is proposed for delineating RFFAs for inclusion in studies which address cumulative effects. Although the method was based on principles and lessons derived from US court cases, it can be used internationally to help delineate RFFAs.