The social impacts of dams: A new framework for scholarly analysis

No commonly used framework exists in the scholarly study of the social impacts of dams. This hinders comparisons of analyses and thus the accumulation of knowledge. The aim of this paper is to unify scholarly understanding of dams' social impacts via the analysis and aggregation of the various frameworks currently used in the scholarly literature. For this purpose, we have systematically analyzed and aggregated 27 frameworks employed by academics analyzing dams' social impacts (found in a set of 217 articles). A key finding of the analysis is that currently used frameworks are often not specific to dams and thus omit key impacts associated with them. The result of our analysis and aggregation is a new framework for scholarly analysis (which we call ‘matrix framework’) specifically on dams' social impacts, with space, time and value as its key dimensions as well as infrastructure, community and livelihood as its key components. Building on the scholarly understanding of this topic enables us to conceptualize the inherently complex and multidimensional issues of dams' social impacts in a holistic manner. If commonly employed in academia (and possibly in practice), this framework would enable more transparent assessment and comparison of projects.     

Assessing impacts on reservations: A failure of social impact research

This paper addresses the failure of the social impact assessment process (SIA) used to analyze the effects of recent energy development near the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana. Research conducted under the auspices of state and federal agencies to assess the impacts of coal development adjacent to the reservation has neglected to consider the potential negative consequences on the social interaction and organization of the Northern Cheyenne. The focus here is on one reservation, but the findings may be applicable to development near other reservations with similar demographic, social, and jurisdictional characteristics. Another important similarity includes the relationship between the reservations and persons and organizations outside them. An ideal model for analyzing reservations is described.     

Coal mining and the resource community cycle: A longitudinal assessment of the social impacts of the Coppabella coal mine

Two social impact assessment (SIA) studies of Central Queensland's Coppabella coal mine were undertaken in 2002–2003 and 2006–2007. As ex post studies of actual change, these provide a reference point for predictive assessments of proposed resource extraction projects at other sites, while the longitudinal element added by the second study illustrates how impacts associated with one mine may vary over time due to changing economic and social conditions. It was found that the traditional coupling of local economic vitality and community development to the life cycle of resource projects—the resource community cycle—was mediated by labour recruitment and social infrastructure policies that reduced the emphasis on localised employment and investment strategies, and by the cumulative impacts of multiple mining projects within relative proximity to each other. The resource community cycle was accelerated and local communities forced to consider ways of attracting secondary investment and/or alternative industries early in the operational life of the Coppabella mine in order to secure significant economic benefits and to guard against the erosion of social capital and the ability to cope with future downturns in the mining sector.     

A framework for combining social impact assessment and risk assessment

An increasing focus on integrative approaches is one of the current trends in impact assessment. There is potential to combine impact assessment with various other forms of assessment, such as risk assessment, to make impact assessment and the management of social risks more effective. We identify the common features of social impact assessment (SIA) and social risk assessment (SRA), and discuss the merits of a combined approach. A hybrid model combining SIA and SRA to form a new approach called, ‘risk and social impact assessment’ (RSIA) is introduced. RSIA expands the capacity of SIA to evaluate and manage the social impacts of risky projects such as nuclear energy as well as natural hazards and disasters such as droughts and floods. We outline the three stages of RSIA, namely: impact identification, impact assessment, and impact management.     

Integrating disciplinary research into an interdisciplinary framework: A case study in sustainability research

The complexity of today’s research problems increasingly demands that scientists move beyond the confines of their own discipline. In this special issue, the basics of a transdisciplinary framework are established and problems analyzed in a specific discipline are successfully integrated in this transdisciplinary network. The intent has been to go beyond only statements about the importance of enabling early stage researchers to work across disciplinary boundaries, and to show that important discoveries are being made at the intersection of disciplines. Embedding various research projects in a more global framework can meet the demands of an interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approach (especially for early stage researchers) and contribute significantly to sustainable research.     

Using causal maps to support ex-post assessment of social impacts of dams

This paper presents the results of an ex-post assessment of two important dams in Brazil. The study follows the principles of Social Impact Management, which offer a suitable framework for analyzing the complex social transformations triggered by hydroelectric dams. In the implementation of this approach, participative causal maps were used to identify the ex-post social impacts of the Porto Primavera and Rosana dams on the community of Porto Rico, located along the High Paraná River. We found that in the operation of dams there are intermediate causes of a political nature, stemming from decisions based on values and interests not determined by neutral, exclusively technical reasons; and this insight opens up an area of action for managing the negative impacts of dams.     

Desertification control: A framework for action

Desertification is a little-understood term that aggregates several land degradation processes occurring in the arid regions of the world. The major processes are vegetation degradation, water erosion, wind erosion, salinization, and soil compaction. Water erosion is the principal threat to environmental stability in both arid and humid climatic zones. Land degradation is generally reversible unless damage is very severe or soils are shallow. Practices to control land degradation are widely available but are not put to use for many reasons. Absence of a food crisis in developed countries is one of the important reasons. A related reason is the perception that no real problem exists. A third reason is that degradation control is not cost effective, except for controlling salinity and compaction. It is time to change emphasis from reducing on-site damage to reducing off-site damage.     

A framework for practical and rigorous impact monitoring by field managers of marine protected areas

Monitoring is a crucial component of conservation in marine protected areas (MPAs) as it allows managers to detect changes to biodiversity and to infer cause of change. However, the complexities of sampling designs and associated statistical analyses can impede implementation of monitoring by managers. Two monitoring frameworks commonly used in marine environments are statistical testing and parameter estimation. For many managers these two approaches fail to help them detect change and infer causation for one or more reasons: the complexity of the statistical test, no decision-making structure and a sampling design that is suboptimal. In collaboration with marine park rangers in Egypt, we instigated a monitoring framework to detect impacts by snorkelers in a pragmatic but scientifically rigorous way. First, we used a literature review to define causal criteria to facilitate inference. This was essential because our sampling design was suboptimal due to a lack of baseline data and there was only one impact site. Second, we established a threshold level of coral damage that if exceeded would trigger management to reduce the impact of snorkelers. This provided a clear decision-making structure. Third, we estimated effect sizes with confidence intervals to detect change. For the field managers, this approach to detection was easier to understand than assessing a null hypothesis and provided critical information for decision making. At no stage during the short study period did snorkelers cause damage that exceeded the threshold and thus mitigation was not required. In situations of technical and financial constraints this framework will increase the implementation of effective impact monitoring for many activities in MPAs and enhance management of marine biodiversity.     

Cleaning up the big muddy: A meta-synthesis of the research on the social impact of dams

Scholars have been exploring the social impacts of dams for over 50 years, but a lack of systematic approaches has resulted in many research gaps remaining. This paper presents the first systematic review of the literature on the social impacts of dams. For this purpose, we built a sample of 217 articles published in the past 25 years via key word searches, expert consultations and bibliography reviews. All articles were assessed against an aggregate matrix framework on the social impact of dams, which combines 27 existing frameworks. We find that existing literature is highly biased with regard to: perspective (45% negative versus 5% positive); dam size (large dams are overrepresented); spatial focus (on the resettlement area); and temporal focus (5–10 years ex-post resettlement). Additionally, there is bias in terms of whose views are included, with those of dam developers rarely examined by scholars. These gaps need to be addressed in future research to advance our knowledge on the social impact of dams to support more transparency in the trade-offs being made in dam development decisions.     

An integrated modelling framework to assess long-term impacts of water management strategies steering soil subsidence in peatlands

Around the world many peatlands are managed unsustainably. Drainage of the peat causes soil subsidence and a range of negative societal impacts. Integrated strategies are required to ensure more sustainable long-term settings, based on impact assessment models that simulate the interrelated dynamics of water management and soil subsidence, and determine the spatial and temporal range of societal impacts. This paper presents an integrated modelling framework that meets these requirements. We used the framework to assess the impacts of a range of water management strategies in Dutch peatlands. Average soil subsidence rates were shown to range from 0.6 to 4.5 mm·y^− 1, resulting in marked differences in societal impacts that affect stakeholders unequally. Moreover, the impacts on real estate damage and water system maintenance revealed inverse trends that result in increasingly unbalanced cost-benefit ratios. The generated insights led the regional water authority to change their current water management strategy, preventing unsustainable future developments. We find the results relevant for improving stakeholders' awareness of long-term impacts of management strategies, and making negotiation processes on goals, means, and possible future pathways more transparent.     

建设项目运行期环境影响验证评价方法探讨

本文论述的方法用于验证建设项目在运行期对环境的影响．在建设项目运行时,通过对其污染源排放的污染物浓度、排放量及环境污染状况的实地监测,表明环境影响评价报告书中的预测值与实际监测值的差异程度,从而得出是否达到预期限制及控制污染目标的结论．     

Ecological mapping: A framework for delimiting forest management units

Ecological mapping attempts to objectively and spatially delimit and represent the natural organization and structure of the landscape. It offers nested levels of resolution, based upon a regionalization process, and provides an ecological basis for planning activities that may impact upon the environment.The essential principles of ecological mapping, as applied by the Quebec Ministry of Environment and Wildlife, are summarized. A methodological mapping approach is proposed for the determination of significant land portions for forest management using an ecological map at a scale of 1:50 000. At this scale, two nested levels of perception are expressed: 1) the topographic complex, and 2) the topographic entity. The topographic entity can be further subdivided into working units based upon operational criteria oriented to forest management. Within each nested level from topographic complex to working unit, there is a corresponding increase in the amount of detailed information available. Ecological mapping undertaken at 1:50 000 scale can provide a reliable and robust tool for planning forest management activities. In most cases, major ecological variations can be expressed and mapped at this scale; however, a greater degree of generalization must be accepted in the planning process when working at this scale rather than at larger scales.     

The community cost of consultation: Characterising the qualitative social impacts of a wind energy development that failed to proceed in Tasmania,Australia

Energy developments affect communities in a range of ways. Impacts on communities can be caused by changes to landscape amenity and access, disruptions to community cohesion, increased or decreased income streams, effects on property values, and population changes. These changes are ideally captured in the social impact assessment (SIA) process, where proponents outline in a formal statement the balance of benefits and burdens on local communities, and measures that will be taken to minimise negative outcomes for the community. In SIA practice there is a tendency toward quantitative socio-economic impacts, such as changes to demographics, income, and land values, with some qualitative assessment of amenity impacts. While the academic literature promotes inclusion of changes to the community itself, such as impacts on community cohesion and social capital, these qualitative changes are not consistently evident in SIA practice. Additionally, SIA practice assesses the impacts of the project, i.e. how the development of wind turbines or other energy infrastructure will affect the community. Because the consultation process around a proposed project typically commences prior to the characterisation and assessment of any associated social impacts and the finalisation of the SIA process, the potential impacts of this consultation are rarely, if ever, evaluated. Here, we examine a case study of an Australian wind energy project that did not proceed to implementation. Through this case study we are able to analyse the anticipatory impacts of the proposal; those stemming from the consultative process rather than the development of the project itself. We present these qualitative social changes, and outline the pathways through which the social changes manifest in two overarching social impacts: a divided community and future development capacity. We discuss the implications of this analysis in the context of good engagement practice and energy governance.     

Opportunity or threat in balancing social,economic and environmental impacts: The appearance of the Polar Silk Road

The potential of the Polar Silk Road (PSR) to accelerate the shipping trade is gaining importance because sea ice is currently melting in the Arctic region. Economic growth generates negative environmental and social impacts (TBL aspects); however, only a few studies have discussed the opportunities and threats in balancing TBL aspects. To fill this knowledge gap, this study addresses the opportunities and threats presented by the PSR. Nevertheless, information on the PSR is spread across diverse databases and is incomplete. This study utilizes a data-driven approach to handle these diverse databases and incomplete information and thereby to provide visual two- and three-dimensional impact analyses of opportunities and threats. This study contributes to the literature by (1) bridging TBL aspects of the PSR, (2) using a proposed hybrid method to address the aspect-balancing problem, and (3) providing insights on the opportunities and threats of the PSR. The results reveal negative effects of the PSR in terms of the balance between the economic and environmental aspects and that between the economic and social aspects. This study confirms that the scale and speed of development of the PSR pose a challenge to the environmental and social standards upheld by the surrounding countries and regions. Russia and the United Kingdom are ranked first and second in upholding these standards, while Germany, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands and Norway strive to achieve a balance between the economic, social and environmental aspects.     

Assessing the social cost of housing projects on the built environment: Analysis and monetization of the adverse impacts incurred on the neighbouring communities

Construction projects generate serious environmental adverse impacts on the adjacent residents. All those harmful consequences and damages that third parties or the community sustain due to the implementation of construction processes are called social costs. Although, the presence of social costs is widely mentioned in the literature, in the projects' initial cost estimation practices, the social costs are not estimated and included. Whereas since these costs are not compensated, problems can be emerged by the community. It is a truism that the majority of the models proposed to quantify the social costs have been concentrated on construction, repair, and maintenance of the infrastructure projects namely; utilities, roads, and highways. On the other hand, up to the present, a limited number of attempts has been made to quantify residential housing construction associated social costs. Thus, this research aims to expand and/or contribute to the existing body of knowledge via estimating how much social cost society surrounding residential housing construction sites are subjected to. For this purpose, a social cost estimation model is developed to assist industry professionals on how to estimate social costs in residential construction projects. The social cost estimation model is developed to provide guidance for phase by phase monetization of the residential construction associated social costs. In this paper, the model proposed for social cost estimation is validated via a case study in Turkey.