Chapter 6 only Flashcards
Prediction in EA is about what
Prediction in EA is about understanding, to the extent possible, the relationship between the environment(s) potentially affected and the source of the impact or activity that may be harmful or pose risk.
Understanding change in _____________ and ____________ is important to measure the impacts associated with a project.
baseline conditions and the range of normal variability
For example, if employment in the area for which the project is proposed has been steadily increasing over the previous five years, then ____________________
this baseline trend should be predicted in the absence of the project to ensure a more informed decision about the significance of the predicted employment impact of the proposed project.
There are three main categories of impact predictions in EA:
i) impacts of the project on the environment (biophysical and human); ii) impacts of the environment on the project; and iii) the cumulative impacts of the project.
Predictions about _______________ constitute the bulk of predictions in EA. Such predictions have been at the heart of EA since its inception under the US NEPA, but the scope and complexity of impact predictions has broadened considerably to include more holistic and integrated concepts, ____________________
the impacts of a project on VCs of the biophysical and human environment
ranging from ecosystem services and climate change to impacts on well-being and Indigenous rights.
At the most basic level, predictions in EA concern how ___________________
a VC of the biophysical (e.g., water quality) or human (e.g., employment) environment might change under project conditions compared to future conditions in the absence of the project.
These predictions are usually based on
indicator of change in the condition of a VC or indicator of the level of stress to a VC
condition-based indicators
An indicator (e.g., phosphorus concentrations, benthic invertebrate abundance) that provides direct, measurable information about the condition or state of a valued component.
may be used to identify potential impacts on water quality.
stress-based indicators
(e.g., stream crossing density, riparian area disturbance) stress-based indicator Also referred to as a disturbance-based indicator, such as human access or linear feature density, typically used as a proxy for effects on or level of risk to environmental components.
community health and well-being
A holistic concept comprised of a series of social, economic, health, environmental, and other indicators that provides an overall indication of the state or functioning of a local community.
determinants of health and well-being
Underlying factors, such as physical health, education, mental health, health services, coping skills, and social support networks, that collectively provide an indication of an individual’s health.
climate-resilient projects
Projects designed to adapt to changing climate conditions and climate risks.
climate risk
the need to consider the impacts of climate change on projects
Predicting and understanding climate risk is about understanding the ___, _______, and ______
climate hazard, exposure, and vulnerability of the project
The vulnerability of a project to climate risk is a function of ________________, or the degree to which the project and its associated infrastructure are affected by climate change, and ______________, or the ability to adapt project design or project characteristics to changing climatic conditions.
sensitivity, adaptive capacity