Cumulative Effects Research: Achievements, Status, Directions and Challenges in the Canadian Context

Abstract

This paper reflects on the state of cumulative effects research in Canada and future directions and challenges. The assessment and management of cumulative effects has been an enduring theme in the impact assessment literature, and scholars have consistently identified the challenges to assessing and managing cumulative effects under regulatory, project-based impact assessment. Current research on cumulative effects is focused largely on the development of frameworks and methodologies to advance cumulative effects assessment and management from individual projects to broader regional scales, and on developing the science and tools for assessing and monitoring cumulative effects. Ensuring that scholarly research continues to shape cumulative effects practice in the future requires that scholars not only attempt to improve practice under current existing regulatory processes, but also push the boundaries to ensure that decision processes also evolve so as to be accommodating of new and innovative approaches to cumulative effects at regional scales. This requires interdisciplinary approaches and sustained research funding, both of which present practical challenges to scholars, and research programmes that are developed in collaboration with industry, governments and communities.

A review of the flood risk management governance and resilience literature

“…the primary funding agency for scholarly research, Tri‐Council, is divided into three bodies [two are the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)]. NSERC and SSHRC have limited crossover in scope – NSERC does not support research that integrates a strong social science component, and SSHRC does not support natural science and engineering research (Noble, ). Challenges are similar in the UK, where the environment, physical sciences and arts are separate streams under the Research Councils United Kingdom.…”

“…The desire to apply adaptive approaches to environmental management has gained prominence since the late 1970s (e.g. Holling, ; Walters and Hilborn, ; Grayson et al ., ; Gunderson, ; Folke et al ., ; Allan and Stankey, ), and is gradually being adopted into policy and practice (Noble, , ).…”

Oil sands and the marine environment: current knowledge and future challenges

“…Likewise, North American regulatory processes often treat stress and disturbance generated by multiple spatially and temporally overlapping resource development proposals as independent when they are not (Palen et al . ; Noble ). The effects of coastal development and shipping, and the contribution of greenhouse gases to ocean climate change are also consequences of several other types of resource development.…”

“…In general, rigorous consideration of the cumulative effects of multiple, often simultaneous, resource development projects within the same jurisdiction remains elusive in research and policy (Duinker et al 2012;Murray et al 2014). Likewise, North American regulatory processes often treat stress and disturbance generated by multiple spatially and temporally overlapping resource development proposals as independent when they are not (Palen et al 2014;Noble 2015). The effects of coastal development and shipping, and the contribution of greenhouse gases to ocean climate change are also consequences of several other types of resource development.…”

A prática do <i>follow-up</i> da AIA de projetos: um estudo de caso a partir da experiência do órgão regulador de empreendimentos de exploração e produção de óleo e gás natural <i>offshore</i> no Brasil

“…Apesar de vários avanços desde sua concepção, a AIA ainda enfrenta muitos problemas em sua prática ao redor do mundo , como a dificuldade na gestão de efeitos cumulativos (GUNN;NOBLE, 2011;NOBLE, 2015;DOELLE;DUINKER, 2016), a baixa qualidade das avaliações devido a muitos EIAs apresentarem falhas …”