Title
Rules Versus Reality Limits to Industry Capacity When Planning for NNL at the Landscape Scale.
Author(s)
Rainey, Hugo; Costa, Hugo; Grantham, Hedley; Quétier, Fabien; Victurine, Raymond; von Hase, Amrei
Published
2017
Abstract
Best practice for development projects, such as infrastructure, mining and oil & gas, typically requires aiming for no net loss of biodiversity. Policy and financial investors generally require developers to consider direct, indirect and cumulative impacts on biodiversity when planning project activities. Development projects find it challenging to achieve no net loss targets. Indirect and cumulative impacts can be complex as they result from many contributing factors. Management of indirect and cumulative impacts may be particularly difficult, especially at a landscape scale beyond project license areas. Mitigation of these impacts can require a wide range of expertise, influence and approaches which may be difficult for a developer to engage and sustain. Analysis of a range of common impacts on biodiversity by development projects indicates opportunities to improve mitigation outcomes. Here we discuss how guidance and regulations for mitigating landscape scale impacts on biodiversity can be adapted to aid successful outcomes. Project developers and other stakeholders may achieve better biodiversity outcomes at the landscape scale through improved consideration of some planning and management options: (1) Recognition that development project capacity to manage impacts on biodiversity in the landscape beyond the project area can be limited. (2) Recognition that management of complex impacts at large spatial scales requires multiple partners, stakeholder support and broad expertise. (3) Reinforcement of the long-term motivation of communities for managing biodiversity and natural resources can stabilise resource use. (4) Reinforcement of the role of government in managing impacts at landscape scales based on their authority over planning can reduce cumulative impacts. (5) Improved technical support for land use planning and implementation of land use plans can improve biodiversity outcomes and reduce risk to developers.
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PUB26991