With industrialization and development progressing at an unabated pace, the human species has emerged as the dominant force on the planet. We have wrought massive changes that are adversely affecting our natural capital and eroding the planet’s ability to support us sustainably. “Development cannot be divorced from ecological and environmental concerns. Indeed, important components of human freedoms – and crucial ingredients of our quality of life – are thoroughly dependent on the integrity of the environment”. These words of wisdom from Amartya Sen, instill the sense more strongly that biodiversity and development are closely linked: biodiversity sustains development, and development induces impact on biodiversity, that are seldom positive but mostly negative. The need to mainstream the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources across all economic sectors, the society and the policy-making framework has therefore become central to all the three tenets of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Impact assessment professionals cannot become ‘unthinking enemies’ or just the ‘fellow travelers’ in the development voyage. They have a much greater responsibility to navigate development that reflects greater convergence of economic security, human well being and ecological sustainability objectives. The course will allow the EIA professionals to use the conceptual EA framework as a mainstreaming tool for biodiversity for evolving an understanding of sustainable, responsible and smart development.

This two-day course is an intermediate level course for mid-career EA professionals, business groups, decisionmakers, government officials, donor agencies and economists.