Biodiversity in Environmental Assessment

Human induced development activities are introduced with insufficient attention to their consequences for our living environment, even in cases where environmental assessments have been carried out. This apparent lack of attention to biodiversity in environmental assessment is rooted in the difficulties we have in adequately addressing biodiversity within the scope, time frame and budget allocated for assessments. This book provides a conceptual background and practical approaches to overcome these difficulties. It integrates the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, its ecosystem approach, and the conceptual framework of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment into a comprehensive approach to biodiversity in environmental assessment. It highlights the need to consider the value of biodiversity based on its use by each stakeholder, addresses the importance of both social and economic development to reach the Millennium Development Goals, and provides insights into ways to balance present and future needs.

Roel Slootweg is an ecologist with a PhD in Environmental Science. His work focuses on natural resources management, with particular interest in the linkages between nature conservation, natural resources management, and social and economic development. His experience in environmental assessment includes assessment studies with strong emphasis on stakeholders' participation, scoping and review activities, capacity development and the development of new approaches for better assessment. Slootweg has worked on four continents. He presently owns a consultancy company: SevS Natural and Human Environment Consultants, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands.

Asha Rajvanshi is Professor and Head of the Environmental Impact Assessment Cell at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India. Dr Rajvanshi holds a doctoral degree in Environmental Science. As a teacher, trainer and EA practitioner she has made significant contributions in professionalizing EIA through development of EIA instruments and best practice guidance tools and conducting training programmes in different continents, specially targeted at mainstreaming biodiversity in the EA framework. She also provides advisory support for environmental decision making through her membership at apex bodies of Government of India. She is currently the Chair of the biodiversity section of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA).

Vinod B. Mathur is Professor and Dean at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India. He holds professional qualifications in forestry and a doctoral degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Oxford. He has vast professional experience of conducting environmental assessments of developmental projects and of reviewing EIA reports and Environmental Management Plans. His area of special interest is wildlife ecology and management. He is a member of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM). As a trainer, he has organized several IAIA capacity building programmes on mainstreaming biodiversity in impact assessment.

Arend Kolhoff is senior technical secretary at the international department of the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment. He has a degree in human geography from the Utrecht University and is currently working on a PhD research that aims to identify guiding principles for development of better performing EIA systems in developing countries. He has fifteen years working experience with the Commission in about twenty countries as a trainer and advisor on EIA and SEA capacity development activities.