Environmental and Social Management Plan and Grievances Mechanisms

Question 1

What is the Hanna et al paper about? About the Dam in Brazil.

Answer 1

Not valueing cultural and social factors of projects can lead to situations where mitigation does not address the impacts they were intended to mitigate. In this paper, they assess a compensation program of a Hydroelectric dam to look at these things. They include the perspectives of a broad range of stakeholders about the program.

They really just assess how the whole process of the dam went (licensing process) and the compensation plan of it and what lessons can be drawn from that, looking at the social impacts specifically.

Question 2

What are the most essential conclusions from Hanna et al.?

Answer 2

• Common problem in impact assessment: excessive focus on the environment to the detriment of the social.
• Xerente cosmology is reflected in their worldview & their perceptions of the dam
• Impacts assessments tend to ignore the cumulative impacts of different projects in the same area. Legislation does not require it and where it does, the studies tend to be shallow
• An endownment frund to assist ongoing sustainable development of the affected group should be created.

Question 3

Explain the evolution of the SIA based on Vanclay

Answer 3

SIA was initially devloped as a regulatory tool to assess social consequences of projects. It now functions as a comprehensive process for managing social issues throughout the lifecycle of a project.

Question 4

What are challenges and limitations of the SIA in current day according to Vanclays opinion piece?

Answer 4

• Poor implementation by underqualified practitioners.
• Pressure to deliver quick, inexpensive assessments often undermines quality.
• Manipulation by companies to avoid comprehensive assessments.
• Insufficient academic focus and formal training for SIA professionals.

Question 5

What is meant by social license to operate?

Answer 5

Projects must earn community support and legitimacy, not just legal approvals.

Question 6

What did Phillipes project say about the perception of indigenous people?

Answer 6

They thought the project failed because the indigenous are lazy and incompetent. Caused a ‘morale’ impact.

Question 7

What is the mitigation ladder? five steps: avoid, reduce, repair, compensate in kind, compensate by other means. Explain these

Answer 7

1. Avoid
   Move location. Change design to avoid impact
2. Reduce
   a. Reduce the area that will cause harmful effects
3. Repair
   a. Repair. Plant things back.
4. Compensate in kind
   a. Compensate somewhere else. New benefits. Offsets the adverse effect with a comparable positive one
5. Compensate by other means
   a. Compensate in kind is not possible: attempts to compensate by other means