Linkage of Sustainability to Environmental Impact Assessment Using the Concept of Ecosystem Services: Lessons from Thailand

Abstract

The concept of ecosystem services (ES) could help Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) contribute toward sustainability goals. This study aimed to systematically analyze the ES contents contained in Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) to ascertain whether they included appropriate data as a tool for project implementation in line with sustainability practices. The EISs were analyzed using the review criteria used to assess the criteria of good EIA practice, and these criteria were then integrated and linked to the concept of ES. The results indicated that the treatment of environmental impact studies from the perspective of impact assessment practice was advantageous; however, opposing results of the integration of ES in environmental impact studies were also found. The quality of EISs that reflect ES primarily depended on the project type. The highest quality of content to support ES was for baseline information. The contents in response to biodiversity and the relationship among sustainable indicators in the baseline stage, including the assessment of biodiversity, especially its loss and gain, and the identification of measures focusing on mitigation hierarchy, were inadequate. Consequently, these constraints affect the use of impact assessments as a tool to promote project activities in sustainable ways. An approach to integrate ES in EIAs was developed based on the findings of this study.

Assessment of Ecosystem Services at Different Scales

“…Two papers [20,21] focused solely on the assessment of ESs at a national scale, five [22][23][24][25][26] covered only regional scale assessments, and one paper [27] showed the results of a valuation at two scales (regional and national). There was an article [28] that analyzed the possibility of using the ES concept in environmental impact assessments. The ecosystem services assessed as well as methods applied in the studies also vary.…”

“…Swangjang [28] developed criteria for the evaluation of integrating ESs in environmental impact statements (EIS) compiled for different phases of environmental impact assessments (EIA) (1. baseline study; 2. impact assessment; 3. mitigation and monitoring). Based on the set of criteria, she conducted the qualitative content analysis of six EIS covering projects related to housing and the chemical industry.…”