Integrated Impact Assessment Research Articles

Enhancing climate adaptation design in urban areas: a workflow for climate integrated impact assessment

Abstract Nowadays, urban settlements face the simultaneous occurrence of environmental, natural, and anthropogenic risks. In this scenario, the contribution proposes the definition of an operational workflow for climate-integrated impact assessment, to support climate adaptation design at the urban and building scale. The methodological approach focuses on the evaluation of heatwave and pluvial flooding integrated impacts to identify urban hotspots. A testing case in Naples is proposed. The workflow represents an innovative tool, employing a multi-hazard analysis at the local scale to assess climate impacts considering both vulnerability and exposure components of the built environment. Grounded in an evidence-based approach, the proposed workflow acts as an effective support tool for decision-makers in the preliminary stages of projects, considering the interaction between impact analysis and climate adaptation design at the local scale. The contribution is developed within the research Partenariato Esteso PE3, RETURN project (multi-Risk SciEnce for resilient commUnities undeR a changiNg climate) - Spoke TS1 “Urban and metropolitan settlements” activities.

The Swiss Approach to Societal Impact is Good, but Might Become Even Better: A Comment on Ochsner

AbstractIn my comment to Michael Ochsner's essay on societal impact of research, I argue that Michael is right to point to the complexity of societal impact and to the pitfalls of overly simple measurement frameworks as the one introduced in the UK's Research Assessment Framework. I also convey with him that the lack of such framework does not mean that societal impact is not an important dimension of Swiss research policy. However, I observe that there is currently a stronger concern at the political and societal level for accountability and measuring more systematically societal impact, as related to the emergence of societal grand challenges. Accordingly, I suggest that political scientists should be more proactive and suggest novel ways of measuring impact and of integrating impact assessment in the evaluation of research programs, funding agencies and higher education institutions.

Impact of Belt and Road Initiative on Energy and Environment for Sustainable Development: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping, aims to enhance economic relations between China and global regions, emphasizing sustainable development through renewable energy initiatives. Despite its potential benefits, concerns about the BRI's environmental and energy impacts persist, necessitating a comprehensive analysis. This systematic review and meta-analysis utilized a rigorous search across multiple databases and included studies from database inception to 2024. Criteria included research on the BRI's influence on energy, environment, and sustainable development, focusing on publications in energy, environmental science, economics, econometrics, and finance. Review encompassed 87 relevant documents, employing content analysis, bibliometric analysis, and systematic literature review techniques. Co-authorship, co-citation, and co-word analyses provided insights into research networks, thematic evolution, and keyword relationships. Findings highlighted the BRI's effects on green energy, carbon emission reduction, foreign direct investment, global value chains, and environmental sustainability, with notable contributions to understanding economic structures, trade patterns, and regulatory frameworks. Study contributes significantly to understanding how the BRI influences sustainable development, emphasizing the need for integrated impact assessments, governance frameworks, inclusive development, technological innovation, long-term environmental impacts, and policy evaluations. Future research directions include evaluating environmental laws, assessing social and environmental impacts, and promoting evidence-based policymaking for sustainable BRI initiatives. The Belt and Road Initiative's complex effects on energy, environment, and sustainable development underscore the importance of holistic assessments and interdisciplinary approaches to inform policymaking and achieve sustainable development goals within BRI projects.

Integrated impact assessment for land and water management

Impact assessment considers the future consequences of current or proposed actions, but multiple impact assessment types and silos of expertise make integration difficult. When faced with the development of policy and planning for the complex bio-physical and social-economic systems found in river catchments, integrated impact assessment (IIA) becomes imperative. IIA has well-recognised potential when considering multiple, intersecting impact domains in one impact assessment verses siloed technical workstreams, often not linked until the decision-making stage, and with little transparency around how integration transpires. A “collective” and systemic view of all impacts is essential for understanding the causal relationships between system components and their full consequences including cumulative impacts. In land and water management, the development and integrated assessment of scenarios of change requires integration of disciplinary expertise, and local and indigenous knowledge systems. The challenge here is to turn practice towards less technocratic, more collaborative, and better integrated approaches. This paper therefore advances a participatory approach to IIA that uses participation and co-production of knowledge throughout. Here IIA is facilitated by broad leadership and iterative communication of concepts, ideas, methods, and accessible data between all participants through purposeful management of the process.

Integrated impact assessment of anthropogenic degradation in livestock agroecosystems of the Arid Chaco (Argentina)

Objetivos: desarrollar un procedimiento de evaluación integral del impacto de la degradación antropogénica utilizando un indicador compuesto, y conocer la magnitud de los impactos, en tres agroecosistemas pecuarios. Metodología: se aplicó un diseño de estudio de casos múltiples integrando métodos mixtos. Se definieron participativamente, y utilizaron métodos matemáticos de cálculo y estandarización sencillos para construir el indicador compuesto. Para la recopilación de información de variables humanas, la muestra fue por redes y evaluada; la unidad de recolección de datos, los actores sociales involucrados en cada caso; y la recopilación de información, se realizó por entrevistas semiestructuradas y estructuradas. Para las variables biológicas-físicas, la muestra fue la transecta; el universo de datos, la finca; y la recolección de información, se realizó por muestreo observacional sistemático. Resultados: se obtuvo impacto moderado con riesgo de degradación crítica para dos de las fincas, indicando la necesidad de modificación del plan de manejo para evitar cambios irreversibles. La otra, mostró impacto crítico con riesgo de impacto severo, indicando la detención de actividades y su intervención, para evitar el avance de cambios irreversibles y permitir la rehabilitación. Conclusiones: el indicador construido, permitió evaluar integralmente los impactos y riesgos de ocurrencia de la degradación antropogénica. la simplicidad de los métodos utilizados, promueve su uso público abierto. El procedimiento aplicado promueve una mejor comprensión del comportamiento del fenómeno estudiado, mayor efectividad de los planes de gestión, y la viabilidad y conservación de los agroecosistemas de zonas áridas, los más vulnerables ante la acción de la degradación antropogénica.

Kenya’s Low Carbon Futures: An Assessment Using the KCERT Model

KCERT 2050 is a modelling tool designed to assist in the identification and evaluation of synergies and trade-offs within sectoral decarbonization pathways for Kenya. KCERT 2050 is positioned as a user-friendly and dynamic tool that bridges complex energy systems and emissions models with integrated impact assessment tools, aimed at aiding decision making towards carbon neutrality in both public and private sectors. The tool considers greenhouse gas emissions from various economic sectors and is validated through a collaborative process involving experts from diverse backgrounds. This study uses KCERT 2050 to examine the prospects of achieving a net−zero emissions pathway by 2050. In the baseline scenario, a significant emission trajectory is observed, with the transport sector emerging as the largest contributor. Transitioning to the net−zero pathway reveals substantial reductions across key sectors, such as transport, industry, and land use, driven by strategies including electrification, waste reduction, and afforestation. The sensitivity analysis underscores the potential for emission mitigation through various levers, including land use optimization and the adoption of cleaner transportation modes. In conclusion, our findings emphasize the potential and feasibility of Kenya’s ambitious net−zero emissions target. To attain this goal, it is imperative to prioritize sustainable land use and innovative waste management strategies.

Streamlining social impact assessment and disaster risk assessment for the 21st century – Perspectives from South Africa

Despite considerable improvements in social impact assessment practice, the shortfalls and neglected status of social impact assessment persist. Integrated impact assessments have been suggested to address some of these shortcomings. Due to its transdisciplinary nature, disaster risk assessment has been identified as an emerging area that could assist social impact assessment in managing social changes and risks and improving community resilience. Emerging research from South Africa and abroad have shown that social impact assessment–disaster risk assessment integration offers opportunities for streamlining and improved practice across four areas, that is, theoretical discourses, legislative and statutory provisions, practitioner perspectives and combined methodologies. The resulting streamlined social impact assessment and disaster risk assessment will be more suitable for 21st-century challenges, allowing for enriched social impact assessment practice, contributions to social sustainability and strengthening of the social resilience of at-risk communities. From observations of the South African context, we suggest that streamlined social impact assessment and disaster risk assessment will optimally address the challenges of developing sustainably and enhancing the resilience of at-risk societies in the 21st century in South Africa, the global south and also the rest of the world.

Implementing well-being in the management of psoriasis: An expert recommendation.

Psoriasis causes detriment in a person's physical, mental and social health which impairs their quality of life (QoL). However, the current psoriasis management may not adequately address all relevant health domains. Since the goal of healthcare is to restore or maintain health, health outcomes should include all areas of the patient's overall health. Life satisfaction, QoL and patient well-being are essential to a comprehensive approach to the disease. With the inclusion of more people-centred policies, care of patients with psoriasis should evolve towards a holistic and integrated assessment of the disease impact, including subjective measures of well-being in order to encompass all aspects of health. The main objective of this expert review is to give the concept of well-being a place as an entity within the holistic therapeutic approach for patients with psoriasis. Identifying and defining common goals beyond the skin with the patient and testing them throughout the course of treatment will benefit and enhance treatment success. We propose a series of recommendations for application in clinical practice, providing tangible clinical guidance for implementing well-being in the management of psoriasis. Among the recommendations are the need to initially listen to the patient, to know their level of empowerment or what they want to achieve, their preferences in decision making, the evaluation of not only the physical but also the emotional impact of the disease (well-being), the definition of the aspects that can generate a cumulative deterioration of the disease throughout life, and a continuous assessment of the patient's preferences with the opinion of the expert clinician and the integration of the knowledge of external clinical evidence.

Marine invasive alien species in Europe: 9 years after the IAS Regulation

Biological invasions, resulting from human activities, exert substantial impacts on ecosystems worldwide. This review focuses on marine invasive alien species (IAS) in Europe, examining the current state, proposing strategies to address the problem, and offering recommendations for enhanced management. Effective management of biological invasions relies on accessible, accurate data to inform decision-making. Information systems such as the European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN), Aquatic Non-Indigenous and Cryptogenic Species (AquaNIS), and World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WriMS) provide comprehensive databases on IAS, but their sustainability requires long-term maintenance, continuous updates, and support. Most countries lack specific monitoring programs for marine IAS, and standardization and improvement of monitoring methods are needed. Port monitoring plays a vital role in the early detection of new arrivals, and recent advancements in molecular techniques show promise for effective IAS monitoring. Risk screening tools are commonly employed to rank taxa based on their invasiveness potential in European regions, but variations in protocols can yield inconsistent results. European impact assessments highlight resource competition, novel habitat creation, and predation as primary mechanisms for negative impacts on biodiversity, while the creation of novel habitats represents a key mechanism for positive impacts. Preventing IAS introductions is critical, and measures such as ballast water treatment systems are implemented to reduce the likelihood of marine introductions. However, understanding introduction pathways remains uncertain for many IAS. Eradication and control efforts for marine IAS have limited success, emphasizing the need for enhanced biosecurity measures. Climate change, especially ocean warming, can intensify IAS impacts on native species and ecosystems. In climate change hotspots, some tropical aliens may, however, compensate for the loss of thermally sensitive natives with similar traits. Therefore, it is imperative to consider the interactions between climate change and IAS in developing effective management and conservation strategies. Enhancing IAS management in Europe entails i) securing adequate funding, ii) expanding the list of IAS of Union Concern to adequately cover marine invasions, iii) learning from countries with successful biosecurity practices, iv) sustaining information systems, v) improving monitoring and early warning systems with innovative technologies, vi) enhancing prediction models, vii) conducting integrated impact assessments and mapping cumulative IAS impacts, and vii) considering the potential benefits of IAS in ecosystem functioning and services.

Integrated impact assessment of climate change and hydropower operation on streamflow and inundation in the lower Mekong Basin

Water resources are key to economic development of the Mekong River Basin, but are threatened by climate change and affected by hydropower development. Knowledge of these drivers’ integrated impact on future hydrological alterations is limited, especially with respect to flood inundation in the lower basin. This study assesses streamflow and flood extent alterations by reservoir operations and climate change using the latest climate projections. A distributed hydrologic model is used to generate discharge and flood extent. Our findings indicate substantial changes in seasonal and annual peak discharge due to reservoir operations. Under the future hydropower scenario, the discharge at Kratie will change by + 28% ( − 10%) during the dry (wet) season. While the effects of hydropower operations vary by season, climate change tends to increase river discharge overall. Under the high-emission scenario, the wet seasonal flow at Kratie will increase by + 7% in the near-future (2026–2050), but change by -5% under integrated impact of climate change and reservoir operations. In the far-future, the wet seasonal flow at Kratie under climate change only (integrated impact) will increase by + 33% (+ 19%). Although climate change is the dominant driver of flow alterations, hydropower development is critical for reducing discharge and flood magnitude. Nonparametric statistical testing shows significant changes in the inundated area by up to + 37% during the projected periods.

Noise and Deprivation in Scotland's Four Largest Cities: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee

Scotland's draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Integrated Impact Assessment states that deprived communities tend to be exposed to higher levels of noise than those in less deprived areas. However, this has not yet been specifically investigated in Scotland. The majority of studies find a higher likelihood of noise exposure in deprived communities, although some find the opposite to be true, suggesting that the relationship is highly dependent on the context of the study area. To address a need in the literature for more research in this area and to comment on the statement in NPF4, a spatial analysis has been conducted using Scottish Government published datasets, the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation and the Round 3 Noise Mapping. A statistically significant positive relationship between noise exposure and multiple deprivation is found in Glasgow. No statistically significant relationship between noise exposure and multiple deprivation is found for Aberdeen, Dundee or Edinburgh. The relationships between deprivation and both Noise Management Areas and proximity to Quiet Areas are explored.

Regional integrated assessment of climate change impact on cotton production in a semi-arid environment

Climate change has a negative impact on the productivity of agricultural crops at local, regional and global levels. Foodstuff security and sustainable livelihood of cotton farmers in the core cotton growing region in Punjab, Pakistan is under threat because of decreased yield due to climate change. The quantification of the integrated impact assessment of climate change for developing adaptation approaches for cotton is vital for improving productivity at a regional level and improving food security at a national level. Two crop models were evaluated with on-farm survey data of 165 farms employing stratified random sampling techniques. Representative agricultural pathways (RAPs) were developed for characterizing future cotton production. Global climate models (GCMs) depicted a rise of 3.6 and 4.3°C for maximum and minimum temperature, respectively, along with a decreased in rainfall of 600 mm under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5. The expected temperature rise for the hot-dry climate would cause a reduction in productivity of 35.3 and 39.2% by mid-century for RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively, according to the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) model, while the Agricultural Production System Simulator (APSIM) showed a reduction of 51.1 and 59.6%, respectively. Increases under the current adaptation of a 15% increase in each of nitrogen and planting density ranged from 1.1 to 6.3% for DSSAT and 2.6 to 8.2% for APSIM. Climate-adapted cotton productivity was projected to rise from 18.7 to 35.9% for DSSAT and from 13.8 to 42% for APSIM for all GCMs. Results showed that current and future cotton systems are adversely impacted by climate change; however, climate-change-adapted management approaches could offset possible reductions in productivity. Sustained cotton productivity in the core cotton zone requires capacity building amongst farmers, enabling them to improve their crop management in the face of seasonal climate variability and future climate change.

Indirect impacts of commercial gold mining on adjacent ecosystems

Mining is important for economic development in many tropical countries, but mining can have serious impacts on biodiversity, both directly through operations at extraction sites, and indirectly via wider social-economic development. However, mitigation efforts by large-scale mining operators focus almost exclusively on extraction sites. We provide a rare assessment of mining impacts on vegetation structure and biodiversity with increasing distance from three commercial gold mines of varying ages in Tanzania (0 years, 8 years, and 19 years since establishment).We show that mining is associated with impacts that manifest largely outside operational lease boundaries. At the two older mine sites, aboveground carbon and tree stem density are significantly higher within lease boundaries compared to outside, while there is no such effect at the new site. Further, tree stem density, aboveground carbon, and tree and butterfly species richness all decrease with increasing distance from extraction sites, with these effects again increasing with mine age. Frugivorous bird species richness is lower outside older mines, while abundance declines in frugivorous and granivorous birds are associated with declines in tree stem density, which may have implications for forest regeneration.These impacts result from new and expanding settlements around mining concessions between 2000 and 2019 and associated demand for timber and fuelwood. We recommend rigorous, integrated impact assessments and conservation planning in mining landscapes, to pre-empt the development of settlements and secondary industries around mining sites and so balance outcomes across the mining sector, natural resource-based and other livelihoods, and conservation agendas.

Consequences of Coastal Wetlands Reclamation and the Need for Integrating Impact Assessment of Invasive Alien Plants Species and Coastal Armoring in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Consequences of Coastal Wetlands Reclamation and the Need for Integrating Impact Assessment of Invasive Alien Plants Species and Coastal Armoring in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Sustainability Enhancement in Machining of DTC Titanium Alloy through Integrated Impact Assessment of Various Lubrication Strategies

Machining difficult-to-cut materials like Ti-6AL-4V is characterized by various negative environmental and social impacts, leaving a burden on the environment. Stringent ecological conditions imposed by the government made it necessary to develop a sustainable machining solution. The word "sustainability" refers to the unit process, which is long-term viable from an economic, environmental, social, and quality point of view. Furthermore, because production and operations managers need to know how the machining process contributes to Sustainability, the necessity to measure the Sustainability of machining activities has been recognized. As a result, this study presents a novel paradigm for evaluating the impact of various lubrication strategies on machining operations from an economic, environmental, and product perspective, which measures the Machining operation's Sustainability. The milling process is the focus of this study due to its frequent application in complex industrial jobs. The MQL milling with the lowest impact score of 27.6 is found sustainable.

Comprehensive and Integrated Impact Assessment Framework for Development Policies Evaluation: Definition and Application to Kenyan Coffee Sector

The coexistence of the need to improve economic conditions and the conscious use of environmental resources plays a central role in today’s sustainable development challenge. In this study, a novel integrated framework to evaluate the impact of new technological interventions is presented and an application to smallholder coffee farms and their supply chains in Kenya is proposed. This methodology is able to combine multiple information through the joint use of three approaches: supply chain analysis, input-output analysis, and energy system modeling. Application to the context of the Kenyan coffee sector enables framework validation: shading management measures, the introduction of eco-pulpers, and the exploitation of coffee waste biomass for power generation were compared within a holistic high-level perspective. The implementation of shading practices, carried out with fruit trees, shows the most relevant effects from the economic point of view, providing farmers with an additional source of income and generating $903 of work for every million of local currency (about $9k) invested in this solution. The same investment would save up to 1.46 M m3 of water per year with the eco-pulpers technology. Investing the same amount in coffee-biomass power plants would displace a small portion of production from heavy-duty oil and avoid importing a portion of fertilizer, saving up to 11 tons of CO2 and around $4k per year. The results suggest the optimal allocation of a $100m budget, which can be affected by adding additional constraints on minimum environmental or social targets in line with sustainable development goals.

Homecoming without Nostalgia: Local Communities and the Reintroduction of the Wild Forest Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus sennicus) in Finland

Wildlife translocations often raise concerns about the purpose and impact among people living in target locations. We applied the integrated impact assessment in planning the reintroduction of wild forest reindeer in Finland. We investigated the variety of expected socioecological impacts, the relative importance of these impacts and local willingness to participate in local-level reintroduction activities. The reintroduction project organised interactive forums in 2013 and 2016 in each of the four regions suitable for wild forest reindeer. The variety of recognised potential impacts was high, but the relative importance given to the expected impacts varied relatively little from forum to forum. Importantly, we found a contextual and relational value of wild forest reindeer that extended beyond their intrinsic and instrumental value. The results indicate high local acceptance of reintroduction and willingness to participate in it.

A Conceptual Framework for Heritage Impact Assessment: A Review and Perspective

Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) has recently emerged as a conflict-solving tool to improve World Heritage (WH) conservation in line with sustainable development policies. The increasing number of requested HIAs for affected WH properties over the last years reveals that more attention is being paid to HIA as a practical tool to adequately support the protection and management of historic monuments and sites against new constructions and development. However, the application of integrated and systematic impact assessment methods within HIA still remains a key challenge in different HIA projects. Therefore, this paper contributes to the further development of a transparent and systematic procedure of HIA in accordance with Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). It also explores different standard methods of impact assessment in EIA and discusses their applicability to cultural World Heritage properties. Finally, the paper emphasizes a need for developing integrated impact assessment methods to address the multiple impacts of development projects. Such methodological enhancement can further contribute to mitigation strategies and decision-making to protect World Heritage properties within the context of sustainable development.

Многомасштабная оценка и картографирование антропогенного воздействия на атмосферный воздух

The authors present a method of multi-scale integrated assessment of anthropogenic impact on the atmospheric air as part of a comprehensive environmental assessment of the European states territory. Multiscale assessment enables identifying areas of the greatest impact and determining the relations between objects of administrative-territorial division. The methodology is based on the aggregation of indicators of human exposure to atmospheric air at various scale levels. For a multi-scale assessment of the anthropogenic impact, 3 levels of research were selected

Integrated assessment of the landuse change and climate change impacts on the sediment yield in the Songkhram River Basin, Thailand

The Songkhram River Basin (SRB) is the second largest river basin in Northeast Thailand. The nourishment of the SRB community mainly depends on water resources, especially fisheries. However, changes in land use and climate are causing problems to the livelihood of the SRB community. For sustainable water resources management, an integrated impact assessment of climate and land use change on sediment yield is crucial. Therefore, this study quantifies the combined impact of climate and land use change on sediment yield using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). An ensemble of three Regional Circulation Models (RCM) from Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects (CMIP5s) was used for future climate projection under representative concentration pathways RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. The projected climate shows a rise in both minimum and maximum temperature over 4.7 °C and a fall in precipitation over 6% by the 2080s. For land use, two scenarios, namely; economic and conservation, were developed using the land use change model, Dyna-CLUE. The simulated outcomes illustrate that, in the future, climate change is projected to cause a decrease in flow by 42.8% and 51.7% under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, respectively. On the other hand, the land use change is expected to increase the sediment yield in future. It is responsible for an increase of 2.3% and 7.1% under economic scenarios, a decrease of 0.9%, and an increase of 3.9% under the conservation scenario, respectively, under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. Overall, climate and land use change play a contrasting role in the study area. The combined impact of both results in a decreasing trend of sediment yield by 40.5% and 44.6% under the economic scenario, and 45% and 47.8% for the conservation scenario under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, respectively.