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The inclusion of biodiversity in impact assessment for urban development: policy-related progress limited by gaps and semantic confusion

Author

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  • Charlotte Bigard

    (CEFE - Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive - UPVM - Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - Montpellier SupAgro - Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques - EPHE - École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - UM - Université de Montpellier - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - IRD [Occitanie] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Montpellier SupAgro - Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole)

  • Sylvain Pioch

    (CEFE - Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive - UPVM - Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - Montpellier SupAgro - Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques - EPHE - École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - UM - Université de Montpellier - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - IRD [Occitanie] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Montpellier SupAgro - Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier)

  • John D Thompson

    (CEFE - Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive - UPVM - Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - Montpellier SupAgro - Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques - EPHE - École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - UM - Université de Montpellier - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - IRD [Occitanie] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Montpellier SupAgro - Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier)

Abstract

Natural habitat loss and fragmentation, as a result of development projects, are major causes of biodiversity erosion. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the most commonly used site-specific planning tool that takes into account the effects of development projects on biodiversity by integrating potential impacts into the mitigation hierarchy of avoidance, reduction, and offset measures. However, the extent to which EIA fully address the identification of impacts and conservation stakes associated with biodiversity loss has been criticized in recent work. In this paper we examine the extent to which biodiversity criteria have been integrated into 42 EIA from 2006 to 2016 for small development projects in the Montpellier Metropolitan territory in southern France. This study system allowed us to question how EIA integrates biodiversity impacts on a scale relevant to land-use planning. We examine how biodiversity inclusion has changed over time in relation to new policy for EIA and how the mitigation hierarchy is implemented in practice and in comparison with national guidelines. We demonstrate that the inclusion of biodiversity features into EIA has increased significantly in relation to policy change. Several weaknesses nevertheless persist, including the continued absence of substitution solution assessment, a correct analysis of cumulative impacts, the evaluation of impacts on common species, the inclusion of an ecological network scale, and the lack of monitoring and evaluation measures. We also show that measures for mitigation hierarchy are primarily associated with the reduction of impacts rather than their avoidance, and avoidance and offset measures are often misleadingly proposed in EIA. There is in fact marked semantic confusion between avoidance, reduction and offset measures that may impair stakeholders' understanding. All in all, reconsideration of stakeholders routine practices associated with a more strategic approach towards impact anticipation and avoidance at a land-use planning scale is now necessary for the mitigation hierarchy to become a clear and practical hierarchy for "no net loss" objectives based on conservation priorities.

Suggested Citation

  • Charlotte Bigard & Sylvain Pioch & John D Thompson, 2017. "The inclusion of biodiversity in impact assessment for urban development: policy-related progress limited by gaps and semantic confusion," Post-Print hal-02448719, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02448719
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.05.057
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-02448719v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    2. Helen Byron & Joanna Treweek & William Sheate & Stewart Thompson, 2000. "Road Developments in the UK: An Analysis of Ecological Assessment in Environmental Impact Statements Produced between 1993 and 1997," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 71-97.
    3. Harold Levrel & Nathalie Frascaria & Julien Hay, 2015. "Restaurer la nature pour atténuer les impacts du développement: analyse des mesures compensatoires pour la biodiversité," Post-Print hal-02156945, HAL.
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    5. Léa Tardieu & Sébastien Roussel & John Thompson & Dorothée Labarraque & Jean-Michel Salles, 2015. "Combining direct and indirect impacts to assess ecosystem service loss due to infrastructure construction," Post-Print hal-01945826, HAL.
    6. S. Thompson & J. R. Treweek & D. J. Thurling, 1997. "The Ecological Component of Environmental Impact Assessment: A Critical Review of British Environmental Statements," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(2), pages 157-172.
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    Cited by:

    1. Charlotte Bigard & Baptiste Regnery & Sylvain Pioch & John Thompson, 2018. "From theory to implementation in the mitigation hierarchy: avoid or legitimise the loss of biodiversity? [De la théorie à la pratique de la séquence Éviter-Réduire-Compenser (ERC) : éviter ou légit," Post-Print hal-02448898, HAL.

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