Demonstrating the benefits of impact assessment for proponents

Abstract

This paper is a call for more studies that explicitly demonstrate the benefits of impact assessment to proponents. While the community of impact assessment practitioners generally believe that impact assessment is beneficial (to all stakeholders), empirical demonstration of this, particularly to project proponents, is warranted, and especially in financial terms. While many impact assessment benefits are intangible in nature, learning from the business and management literature shows how such benefits can usefully be measured based upon perceptions of managers within proponent agencies in tandem with archival material. A framework of the nature of impact assessment benefits for proponents, and their relative tangibility is presented along with a five step methodology for determining benefits. We now call upon impact assessment researchers and practitioners alike to use this framework and methodology to structure investigations from practice that will contribute to an empirical database for demonstrating the benefits of impact assessment to proponents.

The method, rights and resources model for evaluation of the effectiveness of environmental impact assessment systems

“…This measurement of environmental impacts remains largely difficult to achieve (Morrison-Saunders et al 2015).…”

“…Unfortunately, to date there is still much debate on an appropriate scientific measure which can monetise environmental goods and services, especially to take account of non-use value such as bequeathing to future generations. Morrison-Saunders et al (2015) noted that attribution and quantification are major challenges. According to them, it is 'less clear whether the benefits of doing impact assessment will ever be present in the same…”

“…The effectiveness of the EIA process is a growing subject of scholarly research (Morrison-Saunders et al 2015;Pope et al 2013). The major question that remains partly unanswered is whether EIA is achieving environmental protection.…”

Entry Points for Considering Ecosystem Services within Infrastructure Planning: How to Integrate Conservation with Development in Order to Aid Them Both

“…While such a process is expected to reduce project risks, (thereby expediting project approval) and increase overall development benefits, this has not been sufficiently demonstrated. Evidence for the economic value of including ES in road planning remains limited (Scott et al 1998); the same holds for other forms of infrastructure development (Morrison-Saunders et al 2015).…”

A importância do conhecimento científico para o aprimoramento do Licenciamento e da Avaliação de Impacto Ambiental no Brasil

“…Todavia, esses benefícios, no Brasil e em diversos países, não costumam ser monitorados, mensurados e, portanto, percebidos pela sociedade (Sánchez, 2013;Morrison-Saunders et al, 2015). Por esse e outros motivos, são os problemas desses instrumentos (e.g.…”