scoping and baseline

scoping

the process of determining the important issues and parameters to be addressed in an EIA, its the very first step in FOCUSING THE STUDY 

primary goal of scoping

 focus the assessment on the most relevant issues and concerns to support informed, effective decision-making

• quality EIA is rich in analysis of trends and ptential impacts, not just lengthy descripon of existing enviro.

• what in the envioretn is actually affected

what critical questions does scoping force us to ask

• what sepcifc elemetns of the proejct to asses ( construction, operation etc)

• what compents of biophsical and human enviroetn are likely affected

  • how have these compoents already changed overtime due to past activties

• what other projects and disturbances are effectign the envoment in this region

key functions of scoping

• prevent issues from happening late in process- identifies public and scitntifc concerns at earliest stage

• assemtn on managable number of key issues- time and reosurces spent where matters

• reduce uncesasry data colection = more effieciet and costefective

• clearly defines spatial and temporal boundaries of study

• ensures EIA deesigned to proeduce high qualtiy and relevant info

• faciltiates early and maninful imput fromt hose afected by project

enviromental baseline

Considers the past, present and posible futuere state based on the asssumtption the proposal project DOESNT HAPPEN

imporatance of baseline study

fundamental foundation entimer Ia is built

• acts as referce point agains which all predicited project impacts are measured and evaluated

• no robust baseline= no credible asseemtnt

3 pillars of a robus and defensible baseline assemtn

• identify and selctin VC - decide what envirroemtnal and social featueres important to study

• establish spatial - define where and when of the asseemtn

• asses the conditon and changes/trends in VC - how features changed and what is causes changes

VC

aspects of physical and human enviroment atha tppl value = warrant detailed considerationin an EIA

• helps focus on what matters most

what VC chosen are based on

• ecological imoratnce

• societal importance

• regulatory imprtance

  • copoents protected by legislation - fisheries act

pathway of effects

for VC, if info on a VC is needed to understands impact on another VC

• one componet is a link in a chain leading to an impacr on spemthing elese

imapct mattixes

checklists in grid format that provide simple visual way to dineify ptoential interactions between project activitie and VCs

need for VC indicators and tresholds

sometimes VC’s alone are too brad cocepts - to asses scientifically need measurable idnicators to track change

indicators

• practicable metrics measured in field

  • conditons based - direct measure of state of VC

  • stressbased - measure of disturbanc that affects the VC

thresholds

 scientifically or socially defined “lines in the sand”. Crossing a thresholds indicates an unacceptable level of change and triggers a management response

thresholds- cautonalry target and critical

cautonary

• earlu warning, tme to increase montor and verify mtigiation

target

• madator trigger for managmetn action

• time for immiedate managmenet oversigt

critical -

• rpeesets point of maxium toelrable chane, beyond which imapcts may be irrversible

what 3 diemetnsions must we define asseesemnt boundaries

• spatial 

  • how large area to study

  • sets geogrpahic scope

• temporal

  • how far back and forwawrds to look

  • sets timeframe

• jursidictional

  • whose rules, regulations, and responblites apply

nested study areas in spatial bounding

• smallest -loocal study area

• regional study area

• context area

local study area

• Immediate area of direct project effects

• Includes the physical project foot print and immediate surroundings

regional study area

• here projects potential zone of influence overlaps with other human activities that mya also be affecting the VC

• important for assesing CUMMLATIVE EFFECTS

context area

An even broader area that mya be needed to understand background conditions, large-scale ecosuytem functions, or population level dynamics for wide ranging species

jursdicitonal bounding and transboundary effects: eclogical vs adminstrative boundaries

• ideally EA should be bounded by

  ecological units like watersheds. In practice, they are often tempered by administrative and institutional

  boundaries

• challenge. = impacts often spred across adminstrative borders

shfiting baseline syndrome

•  failure to look back far enogu

• Mistaking our current degraded state as the NORMAL