Course background


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Environmental professionals, decision makers and developers around the globe have perceived impact assessment as a means to evolve synergy between biodiversity conservation and economic well-being. Experience however reflects that most development models continue to project ‘sustain only’ or 'develop mostly’ options. These growth models have questioned the genius and merits of impact assessment practice in aiding simultaneous achievement of gains in biodiversity and economic sector.

In last four decades, impact assessment has evolved from a 'permitting tool' to a 'planning instrument' and subsequently as a 'mainstreaming tool' to internalize the goals of biodiversity conservation into economic policies and programmes. Despite this, biodiversity has often remained largely 'side streamed' in development decisions. Narrowly focused EIAs of individual site-specific projects in the past, often failed to integrate biodiversity values in development decisions.

Impact assessment techniques cannot stand still but must undergo progressive advancement to identify promising mechanisms and initiatives for mainstreaming interventions and outcomes for biodiversity. Significant advances towards fine-tuning of the existing assessment practice and development of new pathways that encourage lifecycle thinking, gender dimensions of impacts and integrated approaches for assessing cumulative impacts of multisectoral development plans and policies are becoming increasingly effective in addressing landscape level impacts on biodiversity. This course attempts to share with participants of the course, the successful application of many of these emerging EA tools.