Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Cumulative impact assessment'

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Current subjects as the global heating, reduction in n the ozone layer and the loss of the biodiversity, among other, are resulted of centuries of human actions considered without importance by its low prompt significance and whose impacts had not been evaluated. Although the evaluation of environmental impacts - EIA the to have been instituted more than thirty years, its practical one more common it is in the project level and it is not common to evaluation of these impacts, called of cumulative impacts - IC. The need of the consideration of these impacts made a process that considered them to appear - the Cumulative Impact Assessment - CIA. CIA has been studied, practiced and argued at several countries, however in Brazil, its practice is not common. Although the legislation approaches the consideration of cumulative impacts, they don't know each other approaches and methodologies adapted for such analysis, nor as to consider IC in the process of environmental licensing. With base in this gap, this work had as aim to do a conceptual theoretical survey on cumulative impacts and its analysis process, identifying in the literature the conceptual framework, tools, methodologies, application forms and case studies. After the critical analysis of the data, it was traced a conceptual, theoretical and technical profile and presented as result proposed and recommendations for subsidy to a possible systematization of the procedures; aimed the application difficulties and adaptation needs so that the practice of AIC in Brazil is implanted, as well as in several countries.
Questões atuais como o aquecimento global, redução na camada de ozônio e a perda da biodiversidade, entre outros, são resultado de séculos de ações humanas consideradas sem importância por sua baixa significância pontual e cujos impactos não foram avaliados. Apesar da avaliação de impactos ambientais AIA ter sido instituída a mais de trinta anos, sua prática mais comum é no nível de projeto e não é comum a avaliação destes impactos, chamados de impactos cumulativos IC. A necessidade da consideração destes impactos fez surgir um processo que os considerasse a Avaliação de Impactos Cumulativos AIC (Cumulative Impact Assessment CIA). A AIC tem sido estudada, praticada e discutida em vários países, contudo no Brasil, sua prática não é comum. Embora a legislação aborde a consideração de impactos cumulativos, não se conhecem critérios e metodologias apropriadas para tal análise, nem como considerar os IC no processo de licenciamento ambiental. Com base nesta lacuna, este trabalho teve como objetivo fazer um levantamento teórico conceitual sobre impactos cumulativos e seu processo de análise, identificando na literatura o embasamento conceitual, ferramentas, metodologias, formas de aplicação e estudos de caso. Após a análise crítica dos dados, foi traçado um perfil conceitual, teórico e técnico e apresentado como resultado propostas e recomendações para subsídio à uma possível sistematização dos procedimentos; apontadas as dificuldades de aplicação e necessidades de adequação para que a prática da AIC no Brasil seja implantada, assim como em diversos países.

In the United States, biodiversity impact assessment has historically received little attention. Responding in 1993, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released guidelines on incorporating biodiversity into environmental impact assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The objectives of the study here were to identify the level of documentation of biodiversity impact assessment in sample Environmental Impact Statements (EISs); identify whether in the years following the release of 1993 CEQ guidelines any significant changes have taken place in assessment of biodiversity; identify deficiencies, and if the need exists, formulate appropriate recommendations and approaches for addressing biodiversity in EISs. The study involved a systematic review of 30 EISs published since the release of CEQ guidelines, and five EISs published prior to it. The review involved answering a series of standard questions, which attempted to ascertain the level of biodiversity impacts included in each impact statement. Trends in approaches to biodiversity impact assessment were investigated and deficiencies summarized. The analysis resulted in a series of recommendations for improving the manner in which biodiversity impact assessment can be approached.

The combined influence on the environment of all projects occurring in a single area is evaluated through cumulative impact assessments (CIA), which consider the consequences of multiple projects, each possibly insignificant on its own, yet important when evaluated collectively. Traditionally, the future human activities are included in CIA using an analytical platform, commonly based on complex models that supply precise predictions but with asymptotically null accuracy. To compensate for the lack of accuracy of the current CIA I have proposed a shift in the paradigm governing the CIA. The paradigm shift involves a change in the focus of CIA investigations from the detailed analysis of one unlikely future to the identification of the patterns describing the future changes in the environment. To illustrate the approach, a set of 144 possible and equally likely futures were developed that aimed to identify the potential impacts of forest harvesting and petroleum drilling on the habitat suitability of moose and American marten. The evolution of two measures of habitat suitability (average HSI and surface of the stands with HSI>0.5) was investigated using univariate and multivariate repeated measures. Both analytical techniques (i.e., univariate or multivariate) revealed that the human activities could induce at least one cycle (with a period larger than 100 years), in the moose and American marten habitat dynamics. The planning period was separated into three or four distinct periods (depending on the investigation methodology) following a sinusoidal pattern (i.e., increase – constant – decrease in the habitat suitability measures). The attributes that could induce significant changes in the environment are the choice of harvesting age and the valued ecosystem component. The choice of the valued ecosystem component is critical to the analysis and could change the conclusions of the CIA.

Thesis (M.A.)--Stellenbosch University, 2001.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a general consensus that EIA is limited in its scope. The main concern in this regard is that EIA generally fails to handle cumulative impacts effectively, due to its focus on individual projects. Cumulative effects are changes to the environment that are caused by an action in combination with other past, present and future human actions. The evaluation of cumulative effects generally focuses on potential pervasive, regional environmental problems. Due to its strong focus on sustainable development, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), by definition, should address cumulative effects. EIAs in South Africa traditionally only considered the "footprint" or area covered by each project component. However, in recent years the cumulative nature of environmental impacts of human actions has increasingly become a visible concern to the South African public, which has led to the need to infuse cumulative effects concepts into environmental assessments. In theory, a SEA is aimed at improving the way in which cumulative effects are dealt with in environmental assessments. This raises the question of whether past and present South African SEA approaches have effectively addressed the issue of cumulative effects. This thesis provides a critical reappraisal of recent experience in SEA with particular reference to its application in South Africa. It is in this context, of the opportunities and constraints of current SEA application, that this study attempts to determine how best to infuse cumulative effects methodology and philosophy into the emerging South African SEA process. This study evaluates three SEA case studies undertaken in South African, in order to assess how effectively cumulative effects are addressed within the current South African SEA process. The analysis focuses on both innovative approaches used in each study, as well as the limitations and deficiencies of each approach. A generic framework was developed in order to provide broad guidelines for practitioners and reviewers. These guidelines focus on how best to infuse cumulative effects philosophy and methodology into the current SEA process. It is envisaged that this methodology will enhance the current SEA process, in order to ensure that environmental issues are placed on the same level as economic and social considerations in future decision making, to achieve sustainable development.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar.

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The importance of preserving the Amazonian biome given its ecological relevance to the planet does not prevent the concentration of energy projects in the Amazon region due to its unique hydro potential. The hydrographic basins of the Amazon River, which includes the Teles Pires River and the Tocantins River, account for about 80% of the new hydroelectric plants planned to meet the demands of electricity in Brazil according to planning documents. The debate about the significant socio-environmental impacts associated with the advance of the hydroelectric frontier for the Amazon region has been intense. In the country since 2003, the hydroelectric sector, besides having their projects evaluated by the Environmental Impact Studies (EIS), also began to be discussed in the context of watersheds through the Integrated Environmental Assessment (IEA). Given the socio-environmental vulnerability of the Amazon region to the construction and operation of hydroelectric plants, it is relevant to discuss the cumulative impacts resulting from multiple hydroelectric plants in the same basin. The objective of this research is to study the environmental studies carried out in the Teles Pires river basin and three hydroelectric projects in this basin, respectively, the Teles Pires river basin IEA and the Colider Hydroelectric plant EIS, the Teles Pires Hydroelectric plant and the Sinop Hydroelectric plant. Thus, it is established as a research question: How the cumulative impacts of hydroelectric projects inserted in a hydrographic basin in the Amazon region are being analyzed in the environmental planning instruments through the Integrated Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Study? The general objective of the research is to analyze the evaluation of cumulative impacts from the Teles Pires river basin scale in the Amazon region to the hydroelectric scale by environmental impact assessment instruments applied to the environmental planning of hydroelectric dams. The results of the research show that there is an association between the cumulative impacts presented in the Integrated Environmental Assessment for the Teles Pires river basin and the Environmental Impact Studies of the uses inserted in this basin. The results also point out that the good practices of Cumulative Impact Assessment are present mainly at the river basin level. It is considered that the cumulative impacts of hydroelectric projects inserted in a hydrographic basin in the Amazon region are being analyzed in the environmental planning instruments, mainly through the Integrated Environmental Assessment of the basin and, to a lesser extent, through the Environmental Impact Study of Hydroelectric use.
A importância da preservação do bioma Amazônico dado sua relevância ecológica para o planeta não impede a concentração de projetos de energia na Amazônia motivados pelo seu singular potencial hídrico. As bacias hidrográficas do rio Amazonas, que abrange a do rio Teles Pires, e do rio Tocantins concentram cerca de 80% das novas usinas hidrelétricas previstas para atender as demandas de energia elétrica no Brasil segundo documentos do planejamento. O debate sobre os significativos impactos socioambientais associados ao avanço da fronteira hidrelétrica para a região amazônica tem sido intenso. No país, desde 2003, o setor hidrelétrico além de ter seus empreendimentos avaliados pelos Estudos de Impactos Ambiental (EIA) também passaram a ser discutidos no contexto de bacias hidrográficas por meio da Avaliação Ambiental Integrada (AAI). Dada a vulnerabilidade socioambiental da região amazônica frente à construção e operação das usinas hidrelétricas, torna-se relevante discutir os impactos cumulativos resultantes de múltiplos aproveitamentos hidrelétricos em uma mesma bacia. O objeto da pesquisa refere-se aos estudos ambientais realizados na bacia do rio Teles Pires e em seis aproveitamentos hidrelétricos nesta bacia, respectivamente, a AAI da bacia do rio Teles Pires e os EIAs da UHE Colider, da UHE Teles Pires, da UHE Sinop, da UHE Foz do Apiacás, da UHE São Manoel e da UHE Magessi. Assim, estabelece-se como questão de pesquisa: Como os impactos cumulativos de aproveitamentos hidrelétricos inseridos em bacia hidrográfica na região amazônica estão sendo analisados nos instrumentos de planejamento ambiental por meio da Avaliação Ambiental Integrada e Estudo de Impacto Ambiental? O objetivo geral da pesquisa refere-se a analisar a avaliação de impactos cumulativos desde a escala de bacia do rio Teles Pires na região amazônica até a escala de hidrelétricas por meio dos instrumentos de avaliação de impacto ambiental aplicados ao planejamento ambiental de hidrelétricas. Os resultados da pesquisa mostram que há associação entre os impactos cumulativos apresentados na Avaliação Ambiental Integrada para a bacia hidrográfica do rio Teles Pires e os Estudos de Impacto Ambiental dos aproveitamentos inseridos nesta bacia. Os resultados apontam ainda que as boas práticas de Avaliação de Impactos Cumulativos estão presentes sobretudo no nível de bacia hidrográfica. Considera-se que os impactos cumulativos de aproveitamentos hidrelétricos inseridos em bacia hidrográfica na região amazônica vêm sendo analisados nos instrumentos de planejamento ambiental, principalmente, por meio da Avaliação Ambiental Integrada da bacia e, em menor proporção, por meio do Estudo de Impacto Ambiental do aproveitamento hidrelétrico.

A prática de Avaliação de Impacto (AI) mostra-se consolidada como elemento de suporte ao processo decisório ao redor do planeta. No entanto, apresenta uma série de limitações relacionadas à inclusão dos impactos sociais e efeitos cumulativos como objeto de análise, que se mostram mais intensas no contexto da implantação de grandes projetos de desenvolvimento. No Estado de São Paulo, a região do Litoral Norte se destaca pela perspectiva de intensificação dos processos de desenvolvimento econômico a partir da implantação de projetos ligados à exploração de óleo e gás e seus empreendimentos derivados. Ainda que as mudanças de caráter socioambiental venham sendo analisadas em estudos ambientais estratégicos e estudos de impactos ambientais de projetos, planos diretores municipais, dentre outros instrumentos, verifica-se uma lacuna em termos de seus aspectos cumulativos que, associada ao baixo grau de integração entre os instrumentos de planejamento aplicados na região, tem limitado a sua capacidade de influenciar as decisões tomadas. Nesse contexto, a presente pesquisa se utiliza de métodos de Avaliação de Impactos para a verificação de impactos sociais e seus efeitos cumulativos sobre o Litoral Norte paulista, considerando a implantação de projetos já em andamento e sua compatibilização com os cenários de desenvolvimento esperados para a região. De modo específico, foram aplicados os métodos da Rede de Impactos para identificação da relação de causalidade entre impactos sociais diretos e indiretos e verificação de sua cumulatividade, e da Sobreposição de Mapas para agregação de dados geográficos e visualização de sua distribuição espacial. A metodologia adotada favoreceu a identificação de impactos sociais indiretos, assim como a compreensão de sua cumulatividade sobre diferentes receptores e também sobre a área de estudo, mostrando-se útil para a inserção da dimensão social na AI voltada para grandes projetos de desenvolvimento.
Impact Assessment (IA) practice has different inadequacies, especially about identification and assessment of social impacts and cumulative effects. Hence, there is the demand of exploring methods for minding this gap, mainly in the context of impacts derived from large development projects in Brazil. The North Coast of São Paulo was used a case study, as the region was announced to receive different development projects related to oil and gas exploitation and logistic for exportation. There are many socioenvironmental changes predicted by different instruments such as Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) of projects, Master Plans, among others. This research aimed to verify the contributions of the use of Impact Network and Map Overlaying to consider the social dimension in Impact Assessment. The Impact Network method allowed to address the causality of direct and indirect social impacts, linking them to different receptors for comprehending its cumulativeness. The Map Overlaying method added spatial data from different sources, allowing to identify current and expected social impacts and its spatial and temporal cumulativeness. The main results are: identification of indirect social impacts, comprehension of cumulative social impacts in different receptors and the identification of spatial cumulativeness now and considering the planning future scenario. These methods are currently poorly applied and were important to deal with social impacts and cumulative effects. In the end, it was concluded that the approach contributed to better consider the social dimension in Impact Assessment of large projects.

A avaliação de efeitos cumulativos e sinérgicos constitui um elemento essencial à boa prática da Avaliação de Impacto Ambiental (AIA), no sentido do fortalecimento do processo de tomada de decisão e integração de aspectos ambientais no planejamento das atividades econômicas, mas a despeito da sua importância, a cumulatividade dos impactos é vista como um elemento que aumenta a complexidade do processo de AIA. Uma perspectiva promissora para a integração dos efeitos ambientais cumulativos no processo de AIA tem sido contemplada a partir inclusão da gestão dos impactos ao ciclo de avaliação de efeitos cumulativos, representada neste caso pela abordagem da Avaliação e Gestão de Efeitos Cumulativos (AGEC). Tendo em vista as limitações apontadas para o Brasil em relação à avaliação de efeitos cumulativos, considera-se relevante verificar em que medida a experiência consolidada de AGEC no contexto internacional poderia contribuir para o aperfeiçoamento da AIA no país. Deste modo, o presente trabalho é voltado para a identificação de boas práticas em AGEC no contexto brasileiro, valendo-se do estudo do caso da Coordenação Geral de Petróleo e Gás (CGPEG) do Instituto Brasileiro de Meio Ambiente e Recursos Naturais Renováveis (IBAMA), responsável pelos processos de licenciamento ambiental de sistemas de produção de petróleo e gás no país. Por meio de uma abordagem metodológica baseada na triangulação entre literatura, documentação, e entrevistas junto ao corpo técnico do órgão ambiental, foram identificadas oportunidades e dificuldades para a aplicação de AGEC no âmbito de atuação da CGPEG. Os resultados indicam que a prática da AGEC encontra-se em fase inicial de desenvolvimento, com a identificação de algumas evidências de boas práticas devidamente internalizadas pelo órgão ambiental, como a abordagem regionalizada e a utilização de metodologia semelhante às práticas internacionais identificadas. Nota-se também o esforço da CGPEG em promover uma atuação mais eficiente e integradora, exigindo programas regionalizados com visão sistêmica, o que leva a ganhos de longo prazo nas atividades de avaliação do corpo técnico. Como destaque está a prática inovadora do Projeto de Avaliação de Impactos Cumulativos (PAIC) no licenciamento da produção de petróleo da camada pré-sal da bacia de Santos, como referência para o órgão, em que houve contribuições significativas por parte de stakeholders mobilizados em espaços de acompanhamento da instalação da cadeia petrolífera na região e resolução de conflitos, o que sugere um quadro promissor para investimentos em sua estruturação e na capacitação de seu corpo técnico e gerencial, com vistas ao aprimoramento da atuação orientada para os efeitos cumulativos.
The evaluation of cumulative and synergistic effects consists in an essential element for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) good practices, in the sense that it enhances the decision-making process and environmental aspects integration in development planning. Despite its importance, impact accumulation is seen as adding complexity to EIA process. A promising perspective to integrate cumulative environmental effects on EIA process starts at implementing management to cumulative assessments, in this case represented by Cumulative Environmental Assessment and Management (CEAM) approach. Also recognizing Brazil\'s limitation to implement cumulative effects assessment, it is relevant to verify at which extent internationally recognized CEAM practices can improve the country EIA process. Therefore, the present study aims to identify CEAM good practices on Brazilian context, using a federal agency responsible for oil and gas environmental licensing, the \"Coordenadoria Geral de Petróleo e Gás\" (CGPEG/IBAMA). Using triangulation of methods, starting by literature review on good practices, documents and norms content analysis and semistructured interviews with CGPEG technicians, opportunities and difficulties for CEAM implementation were identified for agency performance. Results shows CEAM practices still in its early stages of development, with good practices adoption evidences for the agency, striving forth cumulative effects performance improvement. Also, CGPEG singular functional structure promotes long therm benefits for technical analysis, such as demanding a more integrated and regional approach in environmental monitoring programs. A innovative practice is the cumulative impacts assessment project demanded at the environmental licensing for Santos\' basin pre-salt layer oil and gas production, or \"Projeto de Avaliação de Impactos Cumulativos\" (PAIC), a \"reccomended administrative process\", seen as a orientative material for oil and gas future projects. The PAIC development context had important stakeholder contribuitions on public particiapion processes, such as follow-up foruns for community discussion over oil industries installation at São Paulo\'s North Coast.

O etanol de cana-de-açúcar tem se destacado no cenário mundial como uma potencial fonte de energia alternativa aos combustíveis fósseis. Entretanto, sua produção é fortemente baseada na monocultura, intensificando os impactos adversos nos recursos ambientais. Esses impactos podem se combinar e persistir ao longo do tempo, possibilitando o acúmulo destes nos recursos ambientais, tornando-se necessário um planejamento mais adequado da produção do bioetanol, para que uma abordagem mais sistêmica seja integrada a esse processo. Em meio a esses fatores, a consideração de impactos cumulativos é um elemento essencial para a sustentabilidade do etanol, por conseguir avaliar de maneira mais holística as implicações da monocultura, sendo obrigatória durante o processo de licenciamento ambiental do setor. Essa prática pode ser viabilizada por meio da AIA, possibilitando que esses impactos possam ser identificados e avaliados para que a viabilidade ambiental dos empreendimentos do setor possa ser atestada, principalmente pela elaboração de um EIA. Apesar da exigência, há indícios de que a prática da inserção destes impactos não tem sido realizada adequadamente. Diante do exposto, a pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar de que maneira os impactos ambientais cumulativos estão sendo inseridos em Estudos de Impacto Ambiental do setor sucroenergético paulista, à luz dos elementos preconizados pela AIC. Para tal, foram caracterizados potenciais impactos ambientais cumulativos provenientes da monocultura de cana-de-açúcar nos componentes ambientais águas superficiais, águas subterrâneas, biota aquática e fauna e flora terrestre; além da definição de critérios para as análises nos estudos ambientais. Assim, verificou-se a prática atual da consideração desses impactos nos EIAs do setor canavieiro. A metodologia foi baseada em pesquisa bibliográfica, entrevistas semiestruturadas, modelo causal e análise documental. Como resultados, constatou-se que os impactos ambientais cumulativos não têm sido considerados adequadamente nos EIAs, tendo como base os critérios adotados na análise. Dentre as fragilidades encontradas, destaca-se a falta da identificação e consideração nas análises de outras atividades do passado, presente e futuro, bem como a definição de limites temporais. Além disso, observou-se que alguns dos impactos cumulativos identificados pela pesquisa são contemplados nos estudos como impactos diretos e indiretos. Considerando que as monoculturas podem ser caracterizadas como fontes de mudanças ambientais sob ampla perspectiva espacial e temporal, e diante de sua natureza repetitiva, há uma necessidade de estabelecimento de requisitos, procedimentos e métodos a serem empregados para avaliação destes impactos. Neste contexto, os Termos de Referência poderiam direcionar essa avaliação por meio da definição de critérios a serem contemplados nos estudos, possibilitando uma compreensão das perturbações das áreas de cultivo em sistemas ambientais e a definição de limites a serem observados, além de agregar valor aos processos de tomada de decisão sobre a viabilidade ambiental de empreendimentos do setor sucroenergético no estado de São Paulo.
Sugarcane ethanol has distinguished itself worldwide as a potential alternative energy source to fossil fuels. However, its production is heavily based on monoculture, intensifying the adverse impacts on environmental resources. These impacts may combine to persist over time, allowing the accumulation of these on environmental resources, making necessary a more appropriate planning of bioethanol production, for a more systemic approach into this process. Amidst these factors, addressing cumulative impacts is an essential element for the ethanol sustainability, able to assess a more holistic manner the implications of monoculture, being required during the environmental licensing process industry. This practice can be conducted through the EIA, enabling these impacts can be identified and assessed for environmental feasibility of projects in the sector can be attested, mainly by establishing an EIS. Despite the demand, there is evidence that the practice of addressing these impacts have not been adequately performed. Given the above, the research aimed to analyze how the cumulative environmental impacts are being entered into the Environmental Impact Statements of São Paulo sugarcane industry in light of the elements recommended by the CIA. To this end, potential cumulative environmental impacts from sugarcane monoculture in the environmental components surface waters, groundwater, aquatic biota and terrestrial fauna and flora were characterized, beyond the definition of criteria for analysis in environmental studies. Thus, we found the current practice of considering these impacts in EIS of sugarcane industry. The methodology was based on a literature review, semi-structured interviews, document analysis and causal model. As a result, it was found that the cumulative environmental impacts have not been adequately considered in EIS, based on the criteria used in the analysis. Among the weaknesses found, there is a lack of identification and the analyze of other activities of the past, present and future, as well as setting time limits. Moreover, it was observed that some of the cumulative impacts identified by the survey are included in the studies as direct and indirect impacts. Whereas monocultures can be characterized as sources of environmental changes on large spatial and temporal perspective, and before their repetitive nature, there is a need to establish requirements, procedures and methods to be employed for the assessment of these impacts. In this context, the Terms of Reference could direct this review by defining the criteria to be included in the studies, enabling an understanding of the disturbances growing areas in environmental systems and setting limits to be observed, besides adding value to decision- making process on the environmental feasibility of the sugarcane industry developments in the state of São Paulo.

A avaliação de impactos cumulativos (AIC) é uma prática reconhecida e recomendada internacionalmente em processos de avaliação de impacto ambiental (AIA) de projetos, particularmente onde há concentração espacial de empreendimentos que podem causar significativos impactos, tendo como foco componentes ambientais selecionados que podem ser afetados pelos impactos de diversas ações. Assim, a AIC possibilita uma melhor compreensão das consequências ambientais, principalmente diante da crescente significância de fatores de risco, como os relacionados à biodiversidade. No Brasil, é deficiente a consideração de impactos cumulativos nos estudos de impacto ambiental (EIAs) de projetos submetidos ao licenciamento ambiental. Dentre as principais causas, destacam-se a ausência de diretrizes ou orientações técnicas ou metodológicas, tanto em nível estadual como nacional, e a dificuldade ao acesso de informações essenciais para a realização da AIC. Nesse contexto, para que essa prática possa avançar no Brasil, é necessário discutir os próprios fundamentos e objetivos da AIC, bem como seus desafios, e assim identificar oportunidades para a inclusão dessa prática na AIA de projetos. Ademais, ressalta-se a fundamental importância da adequada AIC sobre componentes ambientais relacionados à biodiversidade, tendo em vista as crescentes ameaças à integridade dos ecossistemas. Nesse sentido, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo propor um quadro de referência com diretrizes e recomendações de iniciativas de suporte, a fim de promover a integração da AIC para a biodiversidade na AIA de projetos. Para tal, a pesquisa foi realizada por meio do desenvolvimento das etapas: (i) elaboração do referencial teórico da pesquisa; (ii) discussão da prática da AIC sobre a biodiversidade no contexto do setor sucroenergético paulista, escolhido devido aos questionamentos sobre os impactos na biodiversidade decorrentes da expansão e concentração das áreas de cultivo de cana-de-açúcar; (iii) discussão da prática internacional em AIC em nível de projeto, considerando a experiência da AIC sobre a biodiversidade no Canadá, devido ao seu histórico e consolidação nesse país; e (iv) construção do quadro de referência para a AIC sobre a biodiversidade, tendo como base o contexto do estado de São Paulo. Como resultados: (i) foram identificados potenciais impactos cumulativos das áreas de cultivo de cana sobre componentes ambientais selecionados relacionados à biodiversidade; (ii) foi constatado que os Termos de Referência (TRs) elaborados no processo de licenciamento ambiental de empreendimentos do setor sucroenergético não apresentam orientação explícita para a realização da AIC sobre a biodiversidade; (iii) verificou-se que os EIAs apresentam informações sobre a biodiversidade que poderiam auxiliar na identificação e análise dos potenciais impactos cumulativos, porém não apresentam avaliação sistemática dos mesmos. A análise dos TRs e EIAs de quatro casos de estudo canadenses selecionados identificou lições aprendidas que poderiam ser refletidas ao contexto brasileiro. Considerando os resultados obtidos, foi elaborado um quadro de referência com diretrizes e recomendações de iniciativas para a integração da AIC para a biodiversidade no processo de AIA, considerando o contexto do estado de São Paulo. Conclui-se que as oportunidades identificadas podem contribuir para a integração estruturada da AIC para a biodiversidade à AIA de projetos submetidos ao licenciamento ambiental.
Cumulative impacts assessment (CIA) is a well-recognized and internationally recommended practice in environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes of projects, particularly where there is a spatial concentration of developments that can cause significant impacts, focusing on valued environmental components that may be affected by the impacts of various actions. Thus, CIA allows a better understanding of the environmental consequences, especially in view of the growing significance of risk factors, such as those related to biodiversity. In Brazil, there is a lack of considering cumulative impacts in the environmental impact statements (EISs) of projects submitted to the environmental licensing. Among the main causes, it is highlighted the lack of guidance or technical or methodological guidelines, both at the state and national level, as well as the difficulty in accessing essential information for the CIA. To improve this practice in Brazil, it is necessary to discuss the elements and purposes of CIA, as well as the challenges, and to identify opportunities for addressing this practice in EIA at project level. Further, it is important to adequately address CIA on components related to biodiversity, in view of the growing threats to the integrity of ecosystems. In this way, the aim of this research was to propose a reference framework with guidelines and recommendations of support initiatives to integrate CIA for biodiversity in the EIA of projects. The research was carried out through the following steps: (i) elaboration of the theoretical reference of the research; (ii) discussion of CIA practice on biodiversity in the context of São Paulo sugarcane industry; chosen due to questions about the impacts on biodiversity by the expansion and concentration of sugarcane areas; (iii) discussion of the international practice in CIA at the project level, considering the Canadian experience in CIA on biodiversity, due to its history and consolidation in that country; and (iv) development of the reference framework for CIA on biodiversity, based on the context of São Paulo state. As results: (i) potential cumulative impacts of sugarcane on valued environmental components related to biodiversity were identified; (ii) Terms of Reference (ToRs) prepared in the environmental licensing process of enterprises of the sugarcane industry do not present explicit guidance for conducting CIA on biodiversity; (iii) EISs present elements on biodiversity that could help in the discussion of potential cumulative impacts, but there is no systematic assessment. Four ToRs and EISs of selected Canadian case studies were analyzed with the identification of lessons learned that could be discussed in the Brazilian context. With the results obtained, a reference framework was developed with guidelines and recommendations of support initiatives to integrate the CIA for biodiversity in the EIA process, in the context of São Paulo state. The opportunities identified can contribute to integrate the CIA for biodiversity to the EIA of projects submitted to the environmental licensing process.

Les méthodes d’évaluation environnementale sont de plus en plus utilisées pour mieux apprécier les impacts environnementaux générés par les activités humaines (produits, services, systèmes). L’analyse de cycle de vie (ACV) est sans doute la méthode d’évaluation la plus répandue. Elle est aussi souvent considérée comme la plus avancée, bien qu’elle comporte de sérieuses limites (elle n’intègre pas de réels indicateurs économiques ou sociaux, par exemple). Dans cette thèse de doctorat, j’examine plus particulièrement la problématique de l’intégration du temps dans les modèles d’inventaire et les calculs d’impact tout au long du cycle de vie. J’y présente une évolution de la méthodologie d’ACV traditionnelle pour le cas du réchauffement climatique, qui incorpore des aspects dynamiques et cumulatifs exprimés directement en équivalent-CO2. Cette perspective orientée vers une meilleure prise en compte dans les pratiques de reporting et/ou les politiques publiques est ensuite déclinée sur trois cas d’application de complexité croissante pour l’analyse. L’hypothèse centrale de ce travail est que le passage d’une ACV traditionnelle à une ACV dite « dynamique » permettrait d’obtenir des résultats d’évaluation d’impacts plus proches de la réalité des phénomènes environnementaux
Environmental impact assessment methods are now widely used in order to measure environmental impacts associated with human activities (for products, services, and systems). Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is without doubt the foremost assessment method. LCA is also often thought of as the more advanced one, despite serious limitations (e.g. LCA does not include properly economical or social dimensions). In this PhD report, I explore more specifically the issue of integrating time in both inventory models and impact assessments along the life-cycle. In the case of climate change, I offer an evolution of traditional LCA towards a framework that includes dynamic and cumulative aspects as expressed directly in CO2-equivalent. This approach, which is oriented towards reporting practices and/or public policies, is afterwards applied to three different case studies of growing complexity. The central hypothesis of this work is that switching from traditional to so-called “dynamic” LCA would allow for better results with regards to one reality of environmental processes

Ecosystem-based management aims to provide a mechanism for achieving a consensus among multi-sectorial activities for sustaining goods and services and achieving ecological, economic and social objectives in an area. The present study adopts innovative methods and approaches aiming to promote a holistic approach towards collaboration and effective conservation management in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). In order to understand the current management needs in the Mediterranean MPAs, a management effectiveness evaluation was conducted in the Mediterranean scale following an existing guide (Tempesta and Otero, 2013). Information was collected through a synthesis and integration of different approaches during the period 2013-2014, and MPA management was evaluated on the basis of 21 indicators that described the general categories: (i) management and legislation; (ii) conservation features; (iii) pressures; (iv) communication and outreach. Case studies were initially assessed separately and were finally compared in order to identify common challenges and good practices in MPA management that may be put forward. Some of the most important problems were the inadequate annual funding; limited surveillance and law enforcement; the inadequate stakeholder engagement and bottom-up approaches; policy gaps and long bureaucratic processes to take action; inadequate monitoring of ecological and socio-economic parameters; limited understanding of human activity threats and impacts along with defining critical thresholds that may assure good environmental status of marine ecosystems. We highly recommend that the evaluation be a cyclic process conducted by a neutral practitioner that will inform management decisions and that results should be disseminated in order to reach a high status of MPA management performance in the Mediterranean. The evaluation of MPA management effectiveness guided the next steps of the study towards addressing realistic MPA needs and providing suggestions to improve MPA management. We focused at Portofino MPA case study (Ligurian Sea, Italy) - the third smallest MPA in Italy hosting rich marine biodiversity and a significant amount of human activities. One of the future targets of the MPA’s consortium is to expand its area in order to improve its capacity to effectively protect vulnerable habitats and the species it hosts. Taking into account the past experience and the inadequate communication and up-to-date information in the area, this initiative is expected to raise conflicts and opposition from users. Hence, Portofino MPA represents a case study of particular interest and relevance with MPAs facing similar issues. Following a holistic methodological approach, an engagement process was carefully designed to provide an insight into the social networks’ characteristics directly involved in supporting stakeholder engagement for sound governance performance and co-management of resources. Enhancing stakeholder engagement from the beginning of the process is essential in order to holistically inform decisions and increase the efficiency of conservation management. It is widely accepted that stakeholder engagement may promote cooperation and the exploration of possible solutions to common problems; facilitate the mitigation of conflicts due to various interests; and enhance coordination and the enforcement of common rules in a more transparent way. A framework to examine structural patterns in social networks and identify central actors with the capacity to serve as communication hubs is suggested to boost information flow and enhance stakeholder participation in decision-making. The approach consists of two powerful tools, Stakeholder Analysis and Social Network Analysis, that their capacity to provide an in-depth knowledge of the complexity of social-ecological systems and the factors that influence the engagement process in MPA management has been recently identified. Identification of stakeholders and their relations in a social network, where information exchange and interaction occurs, may highlight important channels for communication, or indicate key stakeholders with the power to control information flow and influence perceptions. This information may be leveraged to accelerate behaviour, facilitate bridging between organisations, promote deliberation, and improve the diffusion of information in MPA management. The outcomes of the study showed that the social network of the Portofino MPA exhibits a core-periphery structure where some user groups seem to have more privileges regarding access to information and resources in the area. The core of the network keeps the network together, and central stakeholders have the capacity to act as communication hubs and facilitate a two-way information flow that will foster communication, trust and collective learning in natural resource management. However, more effort should be made towards strengthening relationships between actors that may influence or be influenced by decisions relating to the MPA. The adoption of alternative communication strategies that integrate visualisation and user-friendly web platforms, in parallel to personal communication are suggested to involve more actively marginalized actors into decisions, that will increase the network’s cohesion, mitigate the power of central actors and augment plurality and new ideas in the engagement process. Production and synthesis of quantitative and qualitative information, related to conservation features and human activities, is another important aspect in conservation management that negotiation and decisions will be based on. Management of small scale and recreational fishing is one of the most important concerns and challenges that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have to encounter from a socio-economic, cultural and ecological point of view. Monitoring and assessing fishing activity requires complicated approaches due to the heterogeneity of methods that combine different gears depending on the target species, the season and the characteristics of the area. Many standardized strategies of fisheries management have tried and failed to capture this spatial and temporal heterogeneity, or to provide improved understanding of fishing impacts on the ecosystem components. The present study developed a framework for the monitoring and mapping of recreational and artisanal fishing activity. The framework considers and may be adjusted depending on the MPA management capacity in terms of budget and technology available, personnel available, the level of trust that characterizes the relationship between the MPA and the fishermen, and the willingness of all relevant actors and authorities to provide or collate respectively information. Data from different monitoring strategies and sources were integrated to archive a complete dataset that described different fishing practices in the area. Simple spatial indicators that describe fishing effort were used to map and describe the footprint of each fishing practice on vulnerable habitats, and identify the areas that receive greater fishing pressure. However this is the first step in order to assess the impacts of fishing pressure on vulnerable habitats. Pressure-impact assessments were conducted using spatial analysis in order to holistically inform management decisions on vulnerable habitats such as coralligenous under pressure in Portofino MPA. The approach considers the cumulative impacts caused by different fishing practices and incorporates uncertainty regarding available information following the precautionary principle. Cumulative impacts are based on a conceptual model that identifies the pathways through which activities cause harm and describing the likelihood and consequences of an event. The vulnerability assessment quantifies these causal-chain links between biophysical attributes and to human stressors that are described in the conceptual models. The vulnerability informs on the potential risk of loosing (or degrading) a particular habitat due to a specific pressure, and can provide further support to the assessment of the cumulative impacts caused by different fishing practices operating in an MPA. Coralligenous communities, in terms of coverage, are more abundant in zone B, while Posidonia oceanica meadows dominate in zone C of Portofino MPA. However, a great percentage of the habitat lies outside the MPA borders, which confirms the desire of the MPA management board to expand the area. The areas that receive the highest amount of fishing effort were located between depths of 30-40 m receive the highest fishing pressure at the majority of zone B. The vulnerability assessment revealed that artisanal nets, and both recreational and artisanal bottom longlines, had the highest potential impact on coralligenous habitat, independently from the duration that are active on the seafloor. Other recreational activities that were considered to have high potential impact for coralligenous due to the destructive characteristics of the practice and gear used, or due to the pressure’s high intensity and frequency, were vertical jigging, bottom trolling and big game with a rod and reel. The cumulative impact assessment provided an in depth understanding of combined exposure-effect approaches and identified additional areas in zone C and in greater depths, that fishing activity is necessary to be managed more strictly. Several suggestions were enlisted in order to mitigate fishing impacts on coralligenous habitats, for instance the establishment of additional spatial and temporal closures, prohibition of destructive fishing practices, etc. while policy gaps were also identified in the current management system. The approach takes into account the heterogeneity of techniques and captures the different scale of impacts on benthic habitats in a systematic, transparent and repeatable way, and provides a useful tool that integrates ecological, management and policy interventions. An emerging threat in coastal MPAs is the loss of fishing gears that drift away driven by currents and finally end up on the seafloor covering in some cases a significant amount of fragile benthic habitats like coralligenous. In Portofino MPA this is reported as a common issue and frequently divers retrieve the lost gears and monitor it. To inform the MPA regarding which areas are more susceptible to lost fishing gear, a semi-quantitative spatial analysis was conducted using information from the sea-bottom morphology (depth, slope, Benthic Position Index, rugosity, curvature). The areas identified overlap spatially with areas of high fishing effort, while the local currents agree that most susceptible areas are located in the southern part of Portofino MPA. Although data quality regarding information coming from divers was poor, the suggested analysis may provide useful information in order to focus management actions on specific areas. Finally, the Marxan with Zones conservation planning model was applied on Portofino MPA’s present zoning plan in order to provide alternative solutions for the enlargement and re-zoning of the MPA. Different scenarios concerning the regulation of human activities such as fishing and diving activities taking place at different zones were developed. In our management plan, we set high level conservation targets based on relative EU Directives, the high conservation status of the Portofino MPA (SPAMI) and management objectives. In the present study preliminary results are shown for a single scenario where a 4-zone plan is suggested to the expanded surface area of the MPA, where diving and fishing activity are re-arranged in space and strictly regulated. The suggested zoning plan provided by MARXAN with Zones ensures that high conservation objectives are reached in Portofino MPA with the lowest possible operational cost. Overall, the present study aimed to provide a complete ecosystem-based management approach that considers the social and ecological drivers of the system as complementary components for supporting future conservation initiatives towards collaborative management of resources. The management suggestions of this study provide transparent, comprehensive and efficient plans that can improve the governance and the management of marine resources in the area. Innovative tools and methods were integrated to inform several aspects in the management of marine resources in order to promote a holistic approach towards collaboration and deliberation in MPA management. The developed methodology offers guidance on how to structure and focus efforts for collecting, synthesizing and analyzing of necessary information to inform holistically policymaking and management processes. Results provide useful advise in mitigating the cumulative impacts of human activities and deliver alternative solutions that are based on strict systematic conservation planning principles. Moreover, the study may assist the Portofino MPA to build the social conditions and a future engagement strategy where stakeholders will welcome the conservation initiative for its expansion, however particular effort should be made by the MPA management board towards this direction.

The United States Army land managers are facing a difficult task of balancing environmental quality and military land carrying capacity when planning missions. The increase in soil erosion and landscape fragmentation caused by intensive military training degrades environmental quality and restricts military missions simultaneously. So far, no effective tools can be applied to quantitatively assess the environmental quality of military training facilities. This study aims at overcoming the existing gaps in land management of the U.S. Army installations. In this study, spatial metrics were selected and used to quantify landscape quality and further their correlations with landscape aesthetics indicators were investigated to seek surrogates of the immeasurable indicators. The spatial metrics were then combined with other environmental variables including soil erosion, water quality, and noise to create an integrated indicator that comprehensively measures environmental quality for the U.S. Army installations using spatial multi-criteria decision analysis. The methodology proposed in this study was tested at Fort Riley Installation, Kansas. The obtained important results included i) Landsat Thematic Mapper TM imagery was better at identifying land cover categories than India Remote Sensing Imagery and their Brovey transformations and Principal Component Analysis (PCA); ii) Too fine of a spatial resolution of imagery led to a great number of small patches and degraded the accuracy of landscape segmentation; iii) both landscape shape index (LSI) and Aggregation Index (AI) had statistically significant correlation with military training intensity and quantified the landscape fragmentation well along with both LSI and AI had a significant negative correlation; iv) there were moderate correlations of LSI and AI with landscape complexity and Interspersion and Juxtaposition index (IJI) with disturbance; v) the landscape level environmental quality indicator obtained comprehensively and well quantified the overall environmental health and its dynamics, while the patch level indicator detailed the local environmental quality. The significant contributions made in this study included i) exploring the relationships of landscape aesthetic evaluations with spatial metrics variables and further incorporating the spatial metrics as surrogates of the landscape aesthetic evaluations into derivation of comprehensive environmental quality indicator; and ii) developing a practical method to integrate the individual factors into a comprehensive environmental quality indicator at both landscape and patch levels based on sustainable environmental health and military land carrying capacity. Without doubt, this study can provide effective tools for the Army land managers to accurately assess environmental quality and effectively plan military training on the installations. It is also expected this methodology can be applied to management of other lands such as agricultural, forested, and industrial lands, etc.

Face à l'intensification des pressions exercées par les activités humaines sur l'environnement marin, une organisation rationnelle de ces activités est nécessaire pour endiguer la dégradation des écosystèmes sur lesquels reposent l'approvisionnement en biens et services des sociétés humaines. Les concepts récents de l'approche écosystémique et leur prometteuse application à la planification spatiale maritime apportent des réponses à ce défi, mais la complexité du tissu formé par les écosystèmes marins et les usages humains interagissant avec rend difficile l'opérationnalisation de ces approches. Les travaux de cette thèse proposent de replacer la conservation des écosystèmes marins au cœur du processus de planification, par l'intégration des principes de la gestion écosystémique au sein de la planification spatiale maritime, et par l'évaluation du rôle des aires marines protégées (AMP) comme outil préférentiel pour la conservation des écosystèmes au sein du processus de planification. L'évaluation de l'impact cumulé des activités humaines à une échelle pertinente pour la gestion à Moorea, en Polynésie française, a permis de mettre en évidence la forte contribution des activités terrestres dans l'impact cumulé à l'échelle de lagon, soulignant la nécessité d'une gestion intégrée du continuum terre-mer. Nous démontrons ensuite la valeur ajoutée de cette même approche afin d'orienter de manière rationnelle et transparente les décisions de gestion et notamment la contribution des AMP à effectivement réduire les pressions humaines en leur sein. En effet, les AMP sont un outil de zonage préférentiel pour la conservation des écosystèmes marins et s'intègrent ainsi dans la planification spatiale maritime, à condition de gérer efficacement les activités responsables de pressions délétères sur le milieu. Nous avons utilisé un système de classification des AMP basé sur les activités régulées ou non en leur sein pour évaluer le niveau de protection réel des AMP en France et en Mer Méditerranée. Les résultats indiquent que, même si certains pays ont atteint les objectifs de 10% d'AMP en 2020, la grande majorité des AMP ne présentent pas de niveaux de protection suffisants pour délivrer des bénéfices socio-écologiques. Afin de s'assurer que les AMP puissent remplir leur rôle dans la conservation des écosystèmes, les objectifs récemment fixés pour 2030 fixent désormais 10% de protection stricte ou forte. Dans cette optique, nous analysé quels facteurs expliquent la présence des plus hauts niveaux de protection en Mer Méditerranée, et les résultats montrent les hauts niveaux de protection en Mer Méditerranée sont opportunistes et ne ciblent ni une biodiversité remarquable, ni des niveaux de pressions humaines élevés. Considérés ensemble, les résultats des différents chapitres mettent en lumière le manque de considération des objectifs de conservation, que ce soit au sein du MSP, par un manque d'approches dédiées localement à l'évaluation de l'impact cumulé des activités humaines et d'évaluation de différents scénarios de planification au regard des enjeux de conservation, et au sein des AMP, pourtant dédiées à l'atteinte de ces objectifs de conservation. Au-delà d'apporter ce constat, les différentes approches proposées ici permettent de replacer la biodiversité au cœur de la planification de l'espace marin
As the pressures exerted by human activities on the marine environment intensify, a rational organization of these activities is needed to stem the degradation of the ecosystems on which the supply of goods and services to human societies depends. Recent concepts of the ecosystem approach and their promising application to maritime spatial planning provide answers to this challenge, but the complexity of the tissue formed by marine ecosystems and the human uses interacting with them makes it difficult to operationalize these approaches. This thesis proposes to put marine ecosystem conservation back at the heart of the planning process, by integrating the principles of ecosystem-based management into maritime spatial planning, and by assessing the role of marine protected areas (MPAs) as a preferred tool for ecosystem conservation within the planning process. Assessing the cumulative impact of human activities at a scale relevant to management in Moorea, French Polynesia, has highlighted the strong contribution of land-based activities to cumulative impact at lagoon scale, underlining the need for integrated management of the land-sea continuum. We then demonstrate the added value of this same approach in guiding management decisions in a rational and transparent way, and in particular the contribution of MPAs to effectively reducing human pressures within them. Indeed, MPAs are a preferential zoning tool for the conservation of marine ecosystems, and can thus be integrated into maritime spatial planning, provided that the activities responsible for deleterious pressures on the environment are effectively managed. We used an MPA classification system based on regulated and unregulated activities to assess the actual level of protection afforded by MPAs in France and the Mediterranean Sea. The results show that, although some countries have achieved the target of 10% MPAs by 2020, the vast majority of MPAs do not have sufficient levels of protection to deliver socio-ecological benefits. In order to ensure that MPAs can fulfill their role in ecosystem conservation, the recently set targets for 2030 now set 10% of strict or strong protection. We therefore analyzed which factors explain the presence of the highest levels of protection in the Mediterranean Sea, and the results show that the high levels of protection in the Mediterranean Sea are opportunistic, targeting neither particular biodiversity components nor high levels of human pressure. Taken together, the results highlight the lack of consideration given to conservation objectives, both within the MSP, through a lack of approaches dedicated locally to assessing the cumulative impact of human activities and evaluating different planning scenarios with regard to conservation issues, and within the MPAs, which are nonetheless dedicated to achieving these conservation objectives. the various approaches proposed here make it possible to place biodiversity back at the heart of marine spatial planning

Road infrastructure is essential in the development of human society, but has both negative and positive impacts. Large amounts of money and natural resources are spent each year on its construction, operation and maintenance. Obviously, there is potentially significantenvironmental impact associated with these activities. Thus the need for integration of life cycle environmental impacts of road infrastructure into transport planning is currently being widely recognised on international and national level. However certain issues, such as energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the construction, maintenance and operation of road infrastructure, are rarely considered during the current transport planning process in Sweden and most other countries.This thesis examined energy use and GHG emissions for the whole life cycle (construction, operation, maintenance and end-of-life) of road infrastructure, with the aim of improving transport planning on both strategic and project level. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was applied to two selected case studies: LCA of a road tunnel and LCA of three methods for asphalt recycling and reuse: hot in-plant, hot in-place and reuse as unbound material. The impact categories selected for analysis were Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) and Global Warming Potential (GWP). Other methods used in the research included interviews and a literature review.The results of the first case study indicated that the operational phase of the tunnel contributed the highest share of CED and GWP throughout the tunnel’s life cycle. Construction of concrete tunnels had much higher CED and GWP per lane-metre than construction of rocktunnels. The results of the second case study showed that hot in-place recycling of asphalt gave slightly more net savings of GWP and CED than hot in-plant recycling. Asphalt reuse was less environmentally beneficial than either of these alternatives, resulting in no net savings of GWP and minor net savings of CED. Main sources of data uncertainty identified in the two case-studies included prediction of future electricity mix and inventory data for asphalt concrete.This thesis contributes to methodological development which will be useful to future infrastructure LCAs in terms of inventory data collection. It presents estimated amounts of energy use and GHG emissions associated with road infrastructure, on the example of roadtunnel and asphalt recycling. Operation of road infrastructure and production of construction materials are identified as the main priorities for decreasing GHG emissions and energy use during the life cycle of road infrastructure. It was concluded that the potential exists for significant decreases in GHG emissions and energy use associated with the road transport system if the entire life cycle of road infrastructure is taken into consideration from the very start of the policy-making process.
QC 20120229

Marine areas represent complex and dynamic systems facing increasing threats and degradation due to multiple human and natural pressures. An integrated assessment approach evaluating the combined effects of interactive stressors is required in order to address future marine planning and management. A multi-risk methodology was developed and implemented in the Adriatic sea to evaluate cumulative impacts induced by climate and anthropogenic drivers on key marine targets (seagrasses, aquaculture, protected areas). The analysis is composed of five steps (hazard, exposure, vulnerability, risk and cumulative impact assessment), implemented through integrated tools and methods (i.e. GIS-based maps, MCDA, indicators) including the application of Bayesian Networks to visualize and compare the impact of alternative climate scenarios and management measures. Resulting output represent a decision support tool to drive adaptive management of marine areas under changing environmental conditions.

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine if the cumulative impacts from point source discharges in the Kromdraai Catchment area sigdicantly impacting on the fitness of use of the surface water resource. The Kromdraai catchment area is located within the Upper Vaal Water Management Area and includes the Upper and Lower Wonderfonteinspruit, the Mooi River and the Loopspruit. The catchment area stretches from Krugersdorp to the confluence with the Vaal River and includes the towns of Westonaria, Carletonville, FochviUe and Potchefstroom. Various dams are situated within the catchment area, these include the Donaldson Dam, Klipdrift Dam, Boskop Dam, Klerkskraal Dam and the Potchefstroom Dam. In order to calculate relevant salt loads reference was made to the Best Practice Guideline Document for the compilation of water and salt balances (DWAF, 1999b:16). The assessment made use of the concentration of salts discharged in kg per day (also referred to as the Total Dissolved Salts or TDS in mg/l) in order to assess the levels of impact. The said method described was utilised throughout the assessment. In order to establish an informed assessment the following methodology was applied. Collation of information in order to obtain: - Understanding the activities of point source discharge. - Localities of discharge. - Quantities and qualities of discharge. Site visits to: - Obtain and clarify information. - Obtain additional information. - Form a holistic view of the area. Review of information: - Missing information was sourced. - Personal contact with point source dischargers. Cumulative impact assessment: - Impact was calculated in accordance to the guidelines of DWAF. Conclusions - Based on the results certain cumulative impact assessments were made, limitations and problem areas were highlighted and certain recommendations made. The following point source dischargers discharge directly into the surface water resource: Merafong City Lou1 Municipality Oberholzer Sewage Works; Khutsong Sewage Works; Wedela Sewage Works; Welverdiend Sewage Works; Fochville Sewage Works; Mogale City Municipality Flip Human Sewage Works; Hannes van Niekerk Sewage Works; Potchefstroom Local Municipality Potchefstroom Water Care Works The following mining activities have a direct point source discharge point into the catchment area: GoldFieIds Limited - Hoof Gold Mine, Driefontein Consolidated Mines. AngloGold Ashanti - West Wits Durban Roodepoort Deep - Blyvooruitzicht Gold Mine Harmony Gold Mine - Deelkraal and Elandsrand, Randfontein Estates The conclusion that was formed based on the results of the different point source discharges was that: No single point of discharge can be identified as a major polluter. Certain of the point discharge sources were found to be discharging water containing waste with TDS concentrations above the acceptable Water Research Commission Guideline (1998: 59) for drinking water, however none of these point source discharges ever contained TDS concenhations of a magnitude that poses a risk to human health. The point source dischargers are cumulatively responsible for the raised levels of salts found in the surface water resource. It should be noted that this raised level is still not deemed to be a health risk to humans as per the standards. It was found that the state of especially municipal water care works is in need of urgent upgrading and maintenance as well as management. This was especially clear from site visits although not evident in the monitoring data. The assessment was done with data received from different point source dischargers. Throughout the assessment averaged figures were utilized. It should be noted that a great discrepancy exist in the methods used by the dischargers i.e. dates of sampling, times of sampling, methods of analysis, regularity of sampling and sampling methods. Final conclusion was that a uniform system of monitoring and analysis throughout the region would provide a much more accurate and clear indication of actual state and possible impact on the surface water resources.
Thesis (M. Environmental Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The iron and manganese ore rich zone of Sundargarh district of Odisha is known as the Koira mining sector, and currently there are 65 working mines. All the mines in Koira mining sector are regulated by a comprehensive set of policy and regulations both at the Central and State levels. Though impact assessment has been done for individual mines, no study has been carried out till date on environmental compliance status taking all the mines together. The environmental impact of a cluster is not only the cumulative effect of all the individual mines and industries but also it should take into account the symbiotic and indirect impact of a region as a whole. Adequacy of the conventional EIA methodology in addressing the overall impact in a cluster has remained questionable. An assessment of the cumulative effects from several industrial projects is an important tool in planning for genuine development (Dutta et al., 2004). Cumulative impact assessment is the process in which the effects of a proposed mine are considered in conjunction with other activities in the general area. A regional concentration of mines will cause cumulative impact beyond those arising from a single mine, e.g. high concentration of particulate matter, impact on surface water quality, severe draw down of water table, deterioration of soil quality etc. Negative groundwater impacts are intensified by several mines in an area and reduced stream flow that can reduce the volume of water available for agriculture. The present work therefore involves the development of a methodology to assess and forecast the environmental impact in a mining area comprising of a cluster of mines, based on which appropriate environmental management practices can be adopted. Air Quality Monitoring (AQM) was carried out at 5 different locations of Koira mining area. The air quality parameters monitored were PM10 and PM2.5, Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx). The PM2.5, SO2 and NOx concentration in Koira mining area were found to be below the limits prescribed by Central Pollution Control Board. However, the PM10 concentration was found to be above the permissible limit during the summer, as the average concentration was 108μg/m3. Similarly, the air quality index for the Koira mining area for most of the days was found to be satisfactory. However, on a few occasions, it was found to be moderately polluted. This indicates that the mining organizations present in this region have to make additional arrangement for control of particulate matter during summer. The poor air quality index may be attributed to respirable particulate matter and diesel emissions. The major source of the particulate matter is haul roads in mines and transportation roads. Restriction of trucks/dumpers speed and overhauling, and regular road maintenance and cleaning are essential in order to control dust pollution from transportation, together with water spraying on roads. Washing of dumpers/trucks’ wheels/body at an appropriate distance from site entrance, loading and unloading area protected from wind, minimization of drop heights, use of sheet or cover on loaded vehicles and application of water sprays to moisten transported material is also essential. Installation of sprinkling system along with application of binding agents, chemicals on unpaved roads are required. In addition, unpaved roads should be converted to black topped roads, with regular maintenance/ repair of roads to maintain compactness, gradient and drainage. Sweeping of unpaved roads and the imposition of speed limits on trucks and other vehicles was also useful. Regular maintenance of the machines that use diesel as fuel is expected to reduce the NOx emission, thereby improving the quality of air in the area. BOD across all the locations does not exceed the prescribed standard of 30 mg/l. Thus it can be safely assumed that, anthropogenic activities have not affected the steams within the study area. The higher iron content in surface water during monsoon can be attributed towards surface run off from adjoining mines and over burden dumps. The maximum iron content is observed at the downstream locations of Kundra Nala. The iron content of Class-A water as per IS-2296 is 0.3 and most of the stations exceeds this standard. Hence the water is suitable for drinking only after conventional treatment. Higher suspended solids in the surface water during monsoon season are natural consequences of surface runoff during monsoon All the 10 locations, in the study area show uniform variation in TDS levels. Ground water monitoring values during summer when compared to standards show that the pH at all the stations except stations GW2 is acidic. The observed values of iron vary from 0.23-2.65 mg/l while the permissible limit is 0.3 mg/l. The observed values of pH in post monsoon season also suggest the acidic nature of the ground water. The total hardness of ground water at the monitoring stations are within the permissible limits. However, the observed values of hardness are lower during monsoon than that of the summer season because of the ground water recharge. The iron content varies from 0.11 to 0.22 mg/l and is the highest for GW-6 monitoring station. The high iron values can be attributed to the rock formation in the region and groundwater infiltration from iron ore material in the region and overburdens. In the present study, 3.1% of the mining workers had hearing loss. 14% of the workers had refraction error which is similar to general population. But 1% of the workers have defective colour vision which points out the need of initial medical examination and suitable placing of workers. Only 7 workers had hernia. This may be due to statutory requirement of hernia repair for fitness to work. Strict compliance of Initial and periodic medical examinations as laid down in statutory regulations is the ideal way to assess health status of mining workers which can lead the way to prevention of diseases. Further studies with assessment of hazard exposure will be helpful in linking health findings. Regular health examinations, health education and use of personal protective equipment amongst the workers need to be encouraged. Implementation of engineering measures to control exposure will benefit the health and productivity of the miners. Enforcing legal regulations especially regarding environmental monitoring will ensure better working condition. Awareness programs regarding prevention of health hazards in mining industry should be conducted among workers for creating a healthy workforce. Finally, a cumulative environmental impact index (CEII) was developed drawing inference from the framework prescribed by CPCB and was applied to the Koira mining region having a cluster of iron and manganese mines. In order to apply the CEII, certain modifications were made in the original framework to determine the cumulative impact index of a predominantly mineral cluster. The CEII index value determined following the developed method was found out to be 56 which indicate that through there are a large number of mines in operation; still the area is not severely polluted. However, it may be noted that it is approaching the severely polluted criteria. Thus, it is high time that adequate attention may be given to control air, water and soil pollution, so that the index value could be further down which will establish minimal impact of mining in the area.

Wetlands are significant contributors to global biodiversity, supporting disproportionately high numbers of species relative to their area. Riparian areas associated with wetlands provide many services that are both ecologically and economically important, such as groundwater recharge, sediment capture and shoreline stabilization, flood mitigation, nutrient processing, increased water quality, carbon sequestration, and essential habitat for wildlife. Agricultural activity has resulted in the drainage or modification of between 40-70% of wetland basins within the Prairie Pothole Region of the northern Great Plains. The impacts of human activity on the remaining wetlands are difficult to estimate and there is no one optimal indicator or assessment method that is applicable to all regions or situations. Locally developed riparian health assessments, designed to evaluate wetland function under different grazing regimes, are cost-effective with the potential for broader use in wetland environmental assessment, monitoring, and management or restoration activities. In this study I investigated the hypothesis that riparian health assessments can distinguish between wetlands in five categories of land use that represent different levels of anthropogenic modification: ungrazed cultivated cropland, ungrazed native grassland, grazed native grassland, ungrazed tame perennial forage, and grazed tame perennial forage. Noting that current riparian health assessment protocols lack a community composition component other than the presence and distribution of invasive and disturbance species, I also sampled plant species frequency at each of my study sites. I found that wetlands in cultivated croplands had significantly lower riparian health scores than wetlands in both tame and native grasslands. Among tame and native sites, grazing status was more important than upland cover type in determining wetland health, with grazed wetlands receiving significantly lower scores than their ungrazed counterparts. Despite their functional similarity to wetlands within native grasslands, species composition of wetlands within ungrazed tame perennial forage more closely resembled that of wetlands in cultivated uplands. Although grazing negatively affected riparian ground cover and soil stability, it significantly reduced both the overall cover and distribution of invasive plant species along wetland reaches. These results suggest that upland revegetation and restoration of function to degraded wetlands is not necessarily followed by re-establishment of original riparian species composition. If biodiversity is a desired outcome of wetland restoration efforts, additional measures must be taken to enable the establishment and persistence of preferred plant species.

In northeast British Columbia, industrial development is proceeding at a rapid rate. While it is playing and integral role in the provincial economy, there is increasing concern that the cumulative impacts of this development may be causing environmental damage and potentially infringing on the unique rights of First Nations in the region. This project involved collaboration with the Treaty 8 Tribal Association and member First Nations to identify the concerns that should be addressed in a cumulative impact assessment. To minimize the pitfalls associated with imposing a research agenda and methods at the community-level, we took a community-based collaborative approach. Multiple interviews and archival research identified multiple concerns that extend well beyond the natural environment. For the purpose of guiding cumulative impact assessment, these concerns were broken down into six themes: land-based activities; human health; identity, culture and sense of place; access to financial benefits; power, rights and jurisdiction; and intrinsic value of nature. The inclusion of non-ecological values and the identification of concerns not assessed under regional resource management approaches emphasize the need to establish a means to include First Nations in the assessment of cumulative impacts. The diversity amongst the concerns identified by the communities and their capacity to participate in such a study highlights the need for an open and flexible approach to collaboration. Finally, the difficulties encountered during this project illustrate the need for both researchers and communities to proceed with care and caution when entering into collaborative research partnerships.
Forestry, Faculty of
Graduate

碩士
國立中興大學
園藝學系所
100
The land use change and simulation in the process of rural-urban land plan has always been the important and complicated subject. In recent years with the transportation construction and development, the promotion of traffic availability and the improvement of technology, the life circle types of Taiwan has gradually changed and brings forth the local development. It causes the acceleration of urban expansion which is unpredictable for the impact caused to the environment. The method of the study field of land use change used to adopt the probe of “from top down” to “from down up”. Cellular Automata has been a set of “from down up” model with rapid development recently. It can transform the complicated land use space study system into the simplest dynamic simulation, so such method has been adopted widely in the study field of land use change and simulation. The present study uses Cellular Automata theory as the basis to understand the land use change in the rural area under transportation construction and development and whether the impact on the change to the space construction brings forth the situation of the city overspread or not. Taking Tsautuen Township, Nantou Hsien as the research area and SLEUTH Cellular Automata model to proceed to dynamic simulation, the researchers adopt SPOT Satellite Image Map Information during an eight-year period in 1995,1997,1998,1999,2000,2003,2007 and 2009. They are divided into three situations. The first situation is land use change when there is not any main road activated. The second situation is land use change and simulation after CIC Expressway and National Highway No.3 activated. The last situation is the land use change and simulation after CIC Expressway, National Highway No. 3 and No.6 activated. These three situations are all predicted up to the year of 2025. The results of the study indicate that with the increase of the main roads constructed, the land use of Tsautuen Township shows the rapid growth of the acreage of developed area. The acreage of agricultural land decreases most and then the woodlands. Such developed area will be newly- built near the interchange exit and the agricultural lands of urban development area. The acreage of agricultural lands will be decreasing gradually around the western area such as Jialao Li, Shinjuang Li, Dunhe Li, Chungcheng Li, Yufong Li, Yenfong Li, Hoping Li, Chungshan Li, Shintsou Li, Bifong Li, Fushing Li, Bijou Li and Shanglin Li. Then the woodlands will be reduced little by little around the area of National Highway No. 6. As to the influence of spatial construction, the more the expressways are constructed, the more accumulatively spread the developed lands will be. This situation mainly happens in the western area such as Jialoa Li, Shinjuang Li, Dunhe Li, Chungcheng Li, Yufong Li, Yenfong Li, Hoping Li, Chungshan Li, Shintsou Li, Bifong Li, Fushing Li, Bijou Li and Shanglin Li. It will bring about fragmentation of the agricultural lands and it will also make the average acreage of the woodlands lessened and scattered. Furthermore, judging from the change of increasing amount of the developed area at the sides of the roads, people can discover that more expressways constructed will lead to the situation of the urban expansion of Tsautuen Township.

碩士
中國文化大學
巿政暨環境規劃學系
105
Taiwan’s agriculture land policy is changing accompanied with economic growth. In the early stage, the economic development relied on agriculture and farmers were self-sufficient depending on cultivating lands. Therefore, farmers’ livelihoods were heavily relied on lands. However, as economic development moved towards industrial development, the ways farmers used lands were changing. When the Agricultural Development Act was amended in 2000, the rationality of agriculture policy was changed from ‘regulating both farmlands and farmers’ to ‘regulating farmlands only’. In the past, only farmers could buy farmlands, but after the amendment, more people were qualified to purchase farmlands. The change wished to promote agricultural activities and resolved the underdeveloped issues. In early stage, farmhouses were meant to store farming tools and equipment, and some were used for animal husbandry purposes. Due to the industrial development, the value of farmlands was not as valuable as before, and, in consequence, more and more farmlands were being converted for other purposes. Apart from providing housing for land owners, there is a tendency to convert farmlands to guesthouses in recent years, which has sharply increased the usage intensities of farmlands. However, farmlands have the unique characters – they are irrecoverable and irreversible, such a conduct will result in losses in farmlands. As a consequence, this research intends to understand the extent to which the farmlands in Yilan County are affected by governmental policies, and identify other influential factors that also affect farmhouses in Yilan County through the lens of Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA). This research reviewed CIA and the historical development of farmlands and farmhouses and understood that Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) wishes to reduce environmental hazards and prevent environmental disasters by conducting pre-assessments in developments. However, what CIA does is to widen the time and spatial dimensions and consider the possible cumulative effects in the research areas from past, now and future. Moreover, the CIA also focuses on the development of the event and its impacts on the research locality. Through the use of Modified Delphi Method (MDM) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), this research established the indicators of CIA, including 4 influential dimensions, 9 factors and 24 indicators. Based on the 9 factors and map overlay in geographic information system, this research reviewed the degree of influences of CIA in Yilan County from year 2000 to 2015 from different angles and wishes to find out the importance and necessity of CIA. According to the analysis, this research has three findings as follow: 1. Although the regulations in relation to EIA has been established in 1994, CIA has been undervalued, neglected, and seldom discussed. However, traditional EIA cannot cover the areas of CIA, which means that some factors of CIA might be overlooked in EIA. As a consequence, the cumulated impact might be huge. 2. The policy reform of farmlands cannot catch the speed of converting farmlands to other purposes. The original rationale to loose the policy restraints was to reactivate farmlands. However, more and more people are qualified to purchase farmlands and convert these properties and tax reduction are the central issues of current farmland misuse. 3. The positive indicators in this research showed the encouragement for building farmhouses, and negative indicators represented harms on both farmhouses and farmlands. If CIA is continuously ignored and the negative impacts of farmhouses could not be solved, farmhouse CIA will continue to accumulate and eventually result in irreversible damages.

This dissertation describes a proposed methodology for Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) with the purpose of improving the process by making it both more substantive and quantitative. The general principles of the approach include the following: use of effect-based analyses where selected Valued Component (VC) sensitivities are identified first and then effect pathways are determined building bottom-up linkages from VC sensitivities to potential stressors or combinations of stressors to effect drivers and forces behind the drivers. Models were developed based on statistical or historic trend analysis or literature review that predicted the responses of the VCs to changes in effect drivers. Further, scenarios of divergent futures were created that involved different developments of each effect driver or force, and finally the models were applied to each scenario to project the state of the studied VCs. A practical implementation was conducted to demonstrate the use of the proposed methods on future population trends of two anadromous salmon species from the Cowichan River, British Columbia, Chinook and Coho. The assessment was conducted for both early freshwater and marine phases of their life. For the freshwater phase, the assessment focused on two main factors affecting salmon survival, streamflow and stream temperature and established two main drivers affecting these stressors, land use and climate change, and two main forces behind these drivers, Local and Global human development driven change, respectively. Effects of stream temperature and streamflow on salmon freshwater survival were simulated using two models; one was based on Chinook freshwater survival correlations with stream temperature and was developed only for Chinook, and the other was based on literature-derived temperature and streamflow thresholds and was developed for both species. Connections between the stressors (stream temperature and streamflow) and drivers (land use and climate change) were established through a hydrologic model and stream temperature regression model. For the marine environment, models were created using Pearson correlation and stepwise regression analysis examining links between survival of Cowichan River Chinook and Strait of Georgia hatchery-raised and wild Coho and various environmental variables of the nearshore zone of Strait of Georgia and Juan de Fuca Strait. The models were applied to project future salmon survival under four future scenarios for 2050 that were created by combining two opposite scenarios of land use in the watershed, forest conservation and development, and two climate change scenarios, extreme and moderate. Scenario projections showed a decrease in overall (combined early freshwater marine) survival by 2050 for all three studied salmon populations. None of them are likely to survive in scenarios with extreme climate change, while scenarios with moderate climate change showed positive survival rates although lower than present-day baseline levels. Analysis also showed that land use management within the Cowichan River watershed can also affect freshwater survival of both Chinook and Coho and marine survival of Chinook through influence of river discharge on nearshore processes. However, our land-use management scenarios have considerably weaker effect than climate change on salmon survival. Therefore, we conclude that land use management alone is not sufficient to offset effects of climate change on salmon survival.
Graduate

Includes bibliographical references (leaves [268]-285)
xiv, 285, [85] leaves : ill. (some folded), maps (col., folded) ; 30 cm.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2002

Includes bibliographical references (leaves [268]-285)
xiv, 285, [85] leaves : ill. (some folded), maps (col., folded) ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2002