Structuring cumulative effects assessments to support regional and local marine management and planning obligations

Abstract

Cumulative effects assessments are a legal requirement in many jurisdictions and are key to informing marine policy. However, practice does not yet deliver fit-for-purpose assessments relative to sustainable development and environmental protection obligations. The complexity of cumulative effect questions, which are embedded in complex social-ecological systems, makes multiple, methodologically diverse assessments a necessity. Using the expansion of marine renewable energy developments in European Union waters as a case study, this paper explores how social-ecological systems thinking and cumulative effects assessment theory can combine to structure CEAs that better support the management and regulation of maritime activities at regional scales. A general perspective for cumulative effects assessment is proposed to remove ambiguity of intent and to orient assessments towards a common objective. Candidate principles for practice are presented for consideration. These principles are integrated into a stepped assessment approach that seeks to improve cumulative effects assessments of localised activities relative to the information needs of decision-makers implementing the ecosystem approach. Highlights• Understanding and managing cumulative effects is fundamental to sustainable development and requires regional coherence between assessments oriented towards resolving a common issue.

Migration Corridors and Threats in the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Straits for Loggerhead Sea Turtles

“…been criticized for a lack of measurable and clearly defined sustainability goals, being poorly aligned with institutional frameworks, and a lack of objective criteria (Jones, 2016). Nevertheless, attempts have been made to improve on CEAs by re-evaluating the structure and intent, reducing ambiguity, and orienting toward a common objective across regions (Willsteed et al, 2018). By incorporating CEAs within a risk-based framework that includes identification, analysis and evaluation, it may be possible to simplify and streamline CEAs while being transparent about uncertainty (Stelzenmüller et al, 2018).…”

Assessing the Cumulative Social Effects of Projects: Lessons from Canadian Hydroelectric Development

“…We provide a conceptual framework for the cumulative social effects of projects that accounts for human experience dimensions. Importantly, there is knowledge and methods that could be drawn upon from other research fields to support further innovation such as social ecological systems, Indigenous ecology, social and health impact assessment, and gender-based analysis (Davies et al 2018 ; Halseth 2016 ; Huang and London 2016 ; Krieg and Faber 2004 ; Loxton et al 2013 ; Willsteed et al 2018 ).…”

Evaluating eDNA for Use within Marine Environmental Impact Assessments

“…A molecular approach could change fundamentally the notion of another aspect of EIA: cumulative impacts. Currently, cumulated impacts are inconsistently assessed [46,47]; the significance of cumulated impacts can be based on expert opinions [46] or conceived as sets of indices summed and extrapolated over a region of interest (e.g., [48]). Neither style of cumulative impact evaluation treats the complex dynamics of ecological systems.…”

“…The second issue is that, in many cases, impacts are small quantitative changes in state without a complete disappearance of the species [47]. Conversely, most eDNA analyses are restricted to the detection of presence (actual or past) of the species, and hence can be insensitive to the impact.…”