ential changes in harvesting of the affected resources
Biological studies and ecological modeling related to climate change are beginning globally, but considerable work remains to be done. In some cases the potential effects from climate change may be large enough to drastically change conclusions of the IA but further study is still needed to determine what types of systems and projects are the most vulnerable. One of the strong points of the IA process is the consistent manner used to assess the significance of impacts. The assessment of magnitude, duration and likelihood are largely unchanged by incorporating climate change into the process.
Assessment of cumulative impacts are likely to be strongly influenced over time by consideration of climate change. Not all jurisdictions incorporate the assessment of cumulative impacts and in any cases this consideration is limited to the effect of other projects which might have overlapping impacts. As a starting point, incorporation of climate change effects on issues beyond GHG emissions and effect on the project is likely most practically addressed within the context of cumulative impacts.
The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, the most comprehensive review ever carried out on the economics of climate change, was published on October 30 2006 and was lead by Lord Stern, the then Head of the Government Economic Service and former World Bank Chief Economist. The UK Office of Climate Change is a good starting point for further reading.
The UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) has been helping organizations to adapt to inevitable climate change since 1997. A number of reports and tools are available through http://www.ukcip.org.uk.
Australia established the Department of Climate Change on 3 December 2007 as part of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Portfolio. The Department's web site has a wide range of reports and tools to help assess aspects of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Journal Special Issues
Manuals and Guidelines
Background Document for the November 2010 IAIA Climate Change and Impact Assessment Symposium. The purpose of this report is to provide the current “state of practice” details underlying the
Symposium’s main discussion points. Firstly, it provides a detailed overview of how the
Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) are
incorporating climate change risks and impacts into their corporate strategies and their due
diligence procedures, particularly Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Secondly, it
provides a detailed overview of how countries are adjusting their due diligence procedures to
integrate climate change risks and impacts. Lastly, it attempts to draw lessons learned and best
practices to assess the impacts of the climate change on the project and the impacts of the project
on climate change.
NCEA's recommendations on Climate Change in EA
The climate in the Netherlands is changing – that much is clear – but there is still uncertainty about the speed and extent of the change, and about the magnitude of the impacts: hence the need to test the climate resilience of spatial planning and spatial strategies. The environmental assessment (EA) procedure is potentially very useful in such testing, as it can be used to ascertain the contribution of plans and projects to abating greenhouse gas emissions and the feasibility of responding to the impacts of climate change. This article describes how the NCEA currently recommends dealing with the theme of climate change.
Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment
This page contains useful documents and websites including:
- MDBs/IFIs' Procedures/Strategies
- Country Procedures
- Good Case Studies
- Tools & Resources
Special thanks to Norval Collins for providing initial content for this IAIA Wiki topic.