Inclusive approaches for cumulative effects assessments

Abstract

The cumulative impacts of human activities and natural disturbance are leading to loss and extinction of species, ecological communities and biocultural connections people have to those ecosystems. Exclusive and extractive western science methodologies often hinder the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge holders in cumulative effects assessments (CEAs), which can lead to regional conflict and ineffective assessment and management of cumulative effects. We offer our reflections on the development of a collaborative CEA process with the Kitasoo Xai'xais, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv First Nations in what is now known as the Central Coast of British Columbia. We designed our CEA around the guiding principles of respecting Indigenous sovereignty and regional autonomy, designing for trauma‐informed approaches, and prioritizing inclusivity and reciprocity. We focused our efforts on identifying current and future pressures on species of the Nations' choice. We relied on expert elicitation and data‐driven approaches to identify and map current and future cumulative impacts to predict their consequences for species' health. We used combinations of visualizations, numerical, oral and written materials to convey, elicit and share complex information with experts. We found a diversity of elicitation processes fostered the involvement of a variety of experts (e.g. Indigenous knowledge holders and Nation staff, regional biologists, Crown managers, tenure holders). We mapped over 90+ impacts to species in the region and after conversation and facilitated elicitation processes with over 50 knowledge holders, emerged with predictions for the consequences of seven plausible scenarios of future cumulative impacts for eight species as well as broad themes for the management of cumulative impacts to the lands and waters of the Nations with whom we collaborated. Our shared lessons can support researchers, planners, proponents, and Indigenous and colonial government agencies to conduct inclusive, collaborative and accessible CEAs that inform regional land and marine use planning. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Predicting regional cumulative effects of future development on coastal ecosystems to support Indigenous governance

“…CEAs that directly engage Indigenous knowledge and provide output relevant for First Nations governments not only support communities living with the consequences of cumulative effects, but also uphold commitments many western governments have made via the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) (Adams et al, 2023;Eckert et al, 2020) Staples, 2022;Weber et al, 2012), environmental impact assessment continues to be shaped by legacies of colonialism and inequality (Larsen et al, 2017). Our Indigenous knowledge-driven approach provides an excellent foundation for participatory analysis of possible management futures for the Great Bear Rainforest and Sea, a culturally and ecologically complex decision-making context.…”

“…We defined health as the ability of interconnected 'ecosystem components' (species and habitats) to persist at levels necessary to fulfil their ecological and cultural role over 25 years. We inform our quantitative predictive modelling framework using an elicitation approach developed by Adams et al (2023) for cumulative effects assessments, informed by the guiding principles of respecting Indigenous sovereignty and regional autonomy.…”

Human disturbance in riparian areas disrupts predator–prey interactions between grizzly bears and salmon

“…This includes setting thresholds for the amount of disturbance permitted in areas of key importance for grizzly bears (e.g., restricting or excluding disturbance less than 1000 m from salmon-bearing rivers) via revisions to the Great Bear Rainforest Order, which guides forestry practice for the region (Province of British Columbia, 2016). Additionally, Indigenous resource management agencies operating in coastal BC typically span marine, aquatic, and terrestrial systems, equipping them to address efficiently the threats to the maintenance of cross-ecosystem linkages (Adams et al, 2021(Adams et al, , 2023Ban et al, 2018).…”

Framings in Indigenous futures thinking: barriers, opportunities, and innovations

“…5). These wholly new innovations arose in processes where art (visual narratives, performances, scenography, science-fiction writing (e.g., Bremer et al 2018;Cadman et al 2023), and authorship in publications arising from the work (e.g., Lempert 2014;Lenhardt 2019); as well as reporting cultural protocols (e.g., Barrett et al 2022;RIDES 2005); using Indigenous methodologies (e.g., Falardeau et al 2019;Lopez et al 2018); employing a very strong decolonisation approach (e.g., Adams et al 2023;Chahine 2022); and explicitly incorporating trauma-informed approaches into the futures thinking process (e.g., Matters 2019, Reina-Rozo 2021) (Fig. 6).…”