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Biodiversity Mainstreaming by way of Environmental Impact Assessments: confronting expectations and practice

Mainstreaming biodiversity in development cooperation activities is called for by scientists and policy-makers alike, as the current biodiversity crisis can only be mitigated if the linkages between biodiversity and human wellbeing are acknowledged.

Reconciling biodiversity conservation and human development is a particularly topical challenge in highly biodiverse low- and middle-income countries in Latin America, where the population is –directly or indirectly- dependent on natural resources for their livelihood. This study will combine expert interviews with an evaluation of environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports from databases of e.g. the World Bank and/or the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), in order to determine the current motivations, obstacles and effectiveness of biodiversity mainstreaming in a selection of South American countries, and in order to assess the framing, the representation and use of biodiversity in recently conducted EIAs in the region, which is experiencing a sustained development of its infrastructure (hydro-electric dams, roads, mining infrastructure).

Project type: literature review, expert interviews (and/or Delphi study), database screening

Literature: Hugé, J. et al. 2020. Utilitarian framings of biodiversity shape environmental impact assessment in development cooperation. Environmental Science & Policy 75: 91-102.
Contact: Dr. Jean Hugé