Bibliography: p. 94-95. / The purpose of this report is to: * assess the biophysical and socio-economic impacts of closure of De Beers Namaqualand Mines (DBNM) * provide preliminary suggestions for mitigation measures. DBNM anticipate that they will close in approximately 10 years' time. By the year 2002, all diamond deposits which are currently economically viable to mine on a large-scale would have been exploited. Closure is anticipated to have a significant impact on DBNM employees, their households, and towns where the households of employees live. Furthermore, closure is anticipated to have a significant impact on the Namaqualand economy. Therefore, DBNM commissioned the EEU to undertake an assessment of the impacts resulting from mine closure, to ascertain the effects on their employers and their affected households and communities. Through discussions with DBNM the scope for this assessment was established: * Briefly to describe the current biophysical, social and economic environments in Namaqualand and identify different trends in the region. * To assess in detail the socio-economic impacts resulting from the closure of DBNM. In addition, this report considers the impacts on the biophysical environment resulting from the closure of DBNM, because the socio-economic well-being of employees from rural areas of Namaqualand and Transkei is intrinsically linked to changes in the biophysical environment. Lastly, this report also contains preliminary suggestions for mitigating the impacts of closure.

This dissertation proposes the use of fiction as models to enhance the process of impact assessment (IA) and to improve the quality of IA reports. It demonstrates that works of extrapolative fiction (EF), a subset of science fiction, raise issues and clarify concerns not currently included in the IA process, suggesting the potential for improving the relevance of IA results for decisionmakers. The dissertation also demonstrates that EF stories can enhance the presentation of IA results, making those results more readable. Through literature review and content analysis, the current IA process is shown to lead to results lacking in specific content areas (e.g., effects on emotional well-being and community cohesiveness) necessary for their utility to decisionmakers. The body of literature here called extrapolative fiction is then shown to include many content areas missing in existing assessments. Two alternatives for an IA process that could incorporate extrapolative fiction are presented and discussed by means of examples. The first includes existing EF stories as a part of or an appendage to an IA report. The example is a preliminary combining of published EF stories with an IA report concerning life-extending technologies. The second includes the use of existing EF stories in the assessment process through inclusion of an EF-oriented reader on the IA team. The example is a case description of an IA process regarding the commercialization of guayule as a source of natural rubber, a process in which the author incorporated EF methods. Severa other results emerged from this research: (a) an initial statement of objectives for a unified field of impact assessment (recently emerging as an amalgamation of technology assessment, environmental impact statements and social impact assessment); (b) a working definition for an emerging subgenre of science fiction here called extrapolative fiction; (c) a topical bibliography of some hundred EF stories. These results extend the current understanding of the field of impact assessment and the emerging genre of extrapolative fiction and should be useful to both the impact assessment and science fiction criticism communities.

Las angiospermas marinas son organismos esenciales para los ecosistemas costeros de zonas templadas. Sostienen una amplia diversidad biológica, regulan la dinámica sedimentaria costera y capturan grandes cantidades de carbono atmosférico. Sin embargo, a pesar de los servicios ecosistémicos que proporcionan, se encuentran amenazadas por actividades humanas y, especialmente, por la contaminación marina. Para conservar las praderas de angiospermas marinas es necesario desarrollar herramientas de seguimiento a todos los niveles de organización biológica que permitan detectar el estrés fisiológico para prevenir la regresión de estos valiosos hábitats, o de determinar la magnitud de estos procesos a gran escala. Es por ello que se plantea esta tesis con el objetivo de determinar el grado de afección de los vertidos de salmuera procedente de plantas desaladoras, además de su interacción con otros estresores ambientales, desde la escala molecular (expresión de genes) hasta la poblacional (cobertura de las praderas). Estos análisis podrán permitir la selección de biomarcadores específicos que sirvan como indicadores de alerta temprana de estrés y puedan permitir la toma de medidas de gestión para conservar. Los capítulos 2 y 3 de la tesis mostraron, por un lado, una estabilidad general de las praderas someras de la angiosperma marina Posidonia oceanica en la provincia de Alicante y, por otro, una grave regresión de la pradera en la bahía de la ciudad de Alicante. Esto se debe a la coexistencia de diversos impactos ambientales en esa zona que son responsables de esta pérdida de cobertura (619 hectáreas desde 1984), a pesar de la estabilidad general de estas praderas a mayor escala. De esta forma se puede determinar que los procesos de declive de estos ecosistemas no se produce de forma global y generalizada sino a escala local y, por tanto, las herramientas de gestión deben enfocarse en una menor escala espacial y atendiendo a los estresores específicos de cada zona. En el capítulo 4 se sometió a la angiosperma marina Zostera chilensis (endémica del Pacífico sudamericano) a incrementos de salinidad (+3 y +6 practical salinity units, psu) con sales artificiales para determinar su respuesta y tolerancia a potencial vertido de salmuera. La planta mostró una reducción fotoquímica una producción de peróxido de hidrógeno y una sobreexpresón de genes relativos a la osmorregulación y el estrés oxidativo. La respuesta etabólica fue similar a ambos incrementos de salinidad, pero la mayor producción de peróxido y de enfriamiento no fotoquímico a +6 psu parecen indicar que esta salinidad está por encima del umbral de tolerancia de la planta, y por tanto que podría ser vulnerable a un in. En los capítulos 5, 6 y 7 se aplicaron distintos incrementos de salinidad a P. oceanica (desde +2 hasta +6 psu) con salmuera real de una planta desaladora, tanto en condiciones de laboratorio como de terreno (frente a vertido de una planta desaladora) y midiendo respuestas metabólicas tanto en hojas como en meristemos apicales. La salmuera mostró incrementar ciertos indicadores de estrés comparado con sales artificiales y la producción de peróxido de hidrógeno, la peroxidación de lípidos y la expresión de genes relacionados con el estrés osmótico y oxidativo fueron superiores en condiciones naturales (terreno). Además las respuestas fueron más claras en los meristemos apicales en comparación con las hojas. Todos estos resultados indican que los vertidos de salmuera en interacción con los factores naturales ambientales pueden genera un mayor estrés metabólico y fisiológico, que además se puede medir más claramente en los meritemos que en las hojas. El uso de biomarcadores moleculares y bioquímicos en praderas expuestas a vertidos de salmuera, puede permitir la detección temprana de estrés y la potencial interacción con otros factores ambientales (naturales o antrópicos) que puedan comprometer la fisiología y la supervivencia de la planta. Por tanto estos indicadores tienen el potencial de usarse, en combinación con indicadores fenológicos o poblacionales, en planes de seguimiento para medir el grado de afección de un estresor. En esta tesis se proponen una serie de biomarcadores específicos al estrés generado por la salmuera con el fin de desarrollar medidas de gestión costera específicas a escala local que puedan detectar el impacto ambiental y prevenir la degradación de estos ecosistemas marinos. / Tesis financiada por la convocatoria UAFPU98 del programa propio del Vicerrectorado de Investigación de la Universidad de Alicante.

The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National Operations Center obtained American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding to conduct an ethnographic overview of select proposed solar energy zones (SEZs) to augment the research that had been conducted for the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Development in Six Southwestern States (Draft Solar PEIS). The objective of this project was to solicit tribal identification of traditional cultural properties and sacred landscapes, religious and traditional use sites, significant ethnobotanical resources, other sensitive or significant resources (including visual), and tribal perspectives on the direct and indirect effects of solar energy development through oral interviews and on-site visits to proposed SEZs in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) was selected to perform this work, assisted by the University of Arizona’s Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology (BARA). As the project progressed, the list of participating tribes was modified to accommodate changing tribal needs and requests. When the tribe that had requested to participate in an ethnographic study for three of the California SEZs (Imperial East, Iron Mountain, and Riverside East) was unable to participate, the scope of the project was modified. In the Draft Solar PEIS, the high cost of conducting Class I archaeological records searches for the four California SEZs had precluded that research; the current project was modified from ethnographic interviews to a Class I records search for all four California SEZs (Imperial East, Iron Mountain, Pisgah, and Riverside East) by SWCA. BARA conducted ethnographic studies for Amargosa Valley, Delamar Valley, Dry Lake, East Mormon Mountain, Gold Point, and Millers in Nevada (inclement weather prevented visits to Dry Lake Valley North), and for Escalante Valley, Milford Flats South, and Wah Wah Valley in Utah.

A Avaliação de Impacto Ambiental (AIA) é um processo de caráter prévio que visa fundamentar e auxiliar no processo de tomada de decisão sobre a viabilidade ambiental de um empreendimento ou atividade. No Brasil, uma das principais etapas deste processo é a elaboração do Estudo de Impacto Ambiental (EIA). Objetivando o embasamento para a tomada de decisão, um ponto fundamental de um EIA é a apresentação e comparação de alternativas locacionais. Apesar de ter um papel primordial na análise dos possíveis cenários de impactos ambientais, na prática atual, tanto no contexto nacional como internacional, a análise de alternativas de localização dentro da AIA exibe diversas deficiências e falhas indicadas por inúmeros autores, como a não apresentação de alternativas de localização, a presença de alternativas impraticáveis, a ausência de comparação entre as alternativas, a baixa qualidade dos estudos e a fraca justificativa da seleção locacional. Dessa maneira, o presente estudo objetivou descrever e analisar a qualidade dos estudos de alternativa locacional apresentadas nos EIAs do estado de São Paulo no período de 2005 a 2016. Para isso, elaborou-se uma lista de verificação que foi então aplicada para a amostra de 52 EIAs e 33 Termos de Referência (TR). Verificou-se que, do total de estudos analisados, 46% não apresentaram alternativas de localização para o empreendimento proposto. Além disso, 75% dos critérios estabelecidos na lista de verificação obtiveram conceitos insatisfatórios. Mesmo entre os estudos que continham alternativas de localização, 58% dos critérios foram também avaliados como insatisfatórios, indicando uma baixa qualidade geral dos estudos e diversas fragilidades, principalmente referentes aos processos de seleção de alternativas a serem analisadas, de comparação entre as alternativas e de justificativa de seleção do local determinado com base na análise locacional apresentada. Os critérios que obtiveram os melhores conceitos foram os referentes a apresentação e descrição de alternativas, indicando um caráter muito mais descritivo do estudo de localização do que comparativo. Os TRs avaliados também obtiveram conceitos insatisfatórios, o que indicou que não apenas a qualidade dos estudos locacionais é inadequada, como também a qualidade das diretrizes que os guiam. Os resultados observados reforçaram as deficiências encontradas na literatura e evidenciaram a necessidade de aprimoramento desta etapa da AIA no estado de São Paulo, principalmente por meio da inclusão de diretrizes mais detalhadas nos TRs, do desenvolvimento de instrumentos de planejamento territorial que auxiliem e direcionem os estudos locacionais e da melhora nos processos de seleção de alternativas para análise, comparação entre as alternativas e justificativa do local selecionado dentro dos estudos locacionais nos EIAs / The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a tool that aims to support and assist the decision-making process about the environmental viability of a project or activity. In Brazil, one of the main steps in this process involves the elaboration of the Environmental Impact Study (EIS). To properly support the decision-making process, an EIS key point is the study of locational alternatives, including the presentation, analysis and comparison of alternatives. In spite of having a primary role in analysing possible scenarios of environmental impacts, in current practice, both in the national and international context, the locational alternatives analysis in the EIA process shows several deficiencies indicated by many authors, such as the lack of alternatives consideration, the presence of unreasonable alternatives, the lack of comparison between alternatives, the poor quality of the studies and the poor justification of the site selection. Thus, this study aimed to describe and evaluate the quality of the alternative locational studies presented in the EISs of the state of São Paulo from 2005 to 2016. For this purpose, a checklist was elaborated, which was then applied to a sample of 52 EISs and 33 Terms of Reference (TR). The results show that 46% of the studies did not consider any locational alternatives. Additionally, 75% of the criteria set out in the checklist were assessed as unsatisfactory. Even among the studies that considered locational alternatives, 58% of the criteria were also assessed as inadequate, indicating a low general quality of the studies and several weaknesses, mainly referring to the processes of selecting alternatives to be analysed, of comparing alternatives and of justifying the site selection based on the presented locational analysis. The criteria that obtained the best results were those referring to the alternatives presentation and description, indicating that the locational analysis tend to approach a much more descriptive aspect rather than a comparative approach. The TRs criteria were also evaluated as inadequate, indicating that not only the quality of the locational studies is insufficient, but the quality of its guidelines is also inappropriate. The results in this study support the deficiencies found in the literature review and point out the need to improve the locational analysis in the EISs of São Paulo state, mainly through the input of more detailed guidelines in the TRs, the development of territorial planning tools that can help to guide the studies in the selection of reasonable alternatives to be assessed and the improvement of alternatives analysis, comparison and justification

A presente pesquisa foi conduzida a partir de consultas ao acervo de Estudos de Impacto Ambiental (EIAs) aprovados pela Fundação do Meio Ambiente de Minas Gerais, no período compreendido entre 1986 e 1999. O objetivo da pesquisa foi proceder a uma avaliação da concordância dos estudos sobre o meio biótico contidos nos EIAs consultados com a legislação que fornece as diretrizes básicas para estudos sobre o meio em questão. No desenvolvimento da pesquisa foram avaliados os estudos sobre a flora e a fauna silvestres não aquáticas, contidos em uma amostra representativa de 111 EIAS pertencentes a 5 setores e 25 tipos de atividades. Os estudos sobre a flora, bem como os estudos sobre a fauna, foram avaliados mediante o emprego de 7 variáveis legais subdivididas em 36 itens e 15 variáveis técnicas subdivididas em 67 itens. Ao todo, cada EIA selecionado para a pesquisa foi avaliado mediante a análise de 44 variáveis subdivididas em 206 itens . Os resultados obtidos revelaram que os estudos sobre o meio biótico contido nos Estudos de Impacto Ambiental não atendem satisfatoriamente às exigências legais previstas na regulamentação disciplinadora do tema, tanto em nível estadual como em nível federal. Tampouco atendem às recomendações técnicas básicas preconizadas para a condução de estudos sobre o meio em questão. No aspecto que se refere à concordância com a legislação, as principais falhas foram observadas nas variáveis legais relacionadas ao diagnóstico ambiental da área de influência do empreendimento impactante, à proposição de medidas mitigadoras dos impactos negativos e à proposição de programas de monitoramento dos impactos. Com relação ao atendimento das recomendações técnicas, foram identificadas falhas consistentes nas variáveis técnicas relacionadas à amplitude de duração dos estudos; à observação da sazonalidade, esforço amostral e replicação da amostragem durante a condução dos estudos; à comparação com estudos anteriores realizados em nível regional ou estadual: à realização de análises embasadas na vulnerabilidade das espécies; à realização de análise embasadas na aplicação de índices ecológicos; ao emprego de análises multivariadas, de padrões de distribuição e de espécie-abundância na condução dos estudos; e ao número de especialistas presentes na equipe executora dos estudos. Esses resultados indicam que os estudos sobre o meio biótico conduzidos nos EIAs apresentam qualidade duvidosa no aspecto que se refere ao rigor legal e técnico e impõem a necessidade de que tais estudos sejam revisados com mais critério pelo órgão ambiental e que sejam criados protocolos com maior fundamento técnico-científico para sua execução. / The present research work was carried out from consultations to the material of Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) approved by the Fundação Estadual do Meio Ambiente de Minas Gerais (State Foundation of Environment of Minas Gerais) over the period encompassed between 1986 and 1999. The objective of the research work was to proceed an evaluation of the agreement of the studies about the biotic mean contained in the EIS consulted with the legislation which furnishes the basic guidelines for it execution and with the technical-scientific guidelines for the study of the mean in issue. In the development of the research work were evaluated the studies of the non-aquatic wild flora and fauna,contained in a sample representative of 111 ElAs belonging to 5 sectors and 25 sorts of activities. The studies about the flora were evaluated by means of the use of 7 legal variables subdivided into 36 items and 15 technical variables subdivided into 67 items. In the same way, the studies on fauna were evaluated through the use of 7 legal variables subdivided into 36 items and 15 technical variables subdivided into 67 items. In whole, each EIS selected for the research work was assessed by means of the analysis of 44 variables subdivided into 206 items. The results obtained revealed that the studies upon the biotic mean contained in the Environment Impact Statement do not meet satisfactorily the legal demands foreseen in the disciplining regulation of the subject, both at the state and federal leveI. Neither, they meet the basic technical-scientific recommendations commended for the accomplishment of studies on the mean in issue. As far as the agreement is concerned with the legislation, the early failures were found in the legal variables concerned with the environmental diagnostic of the influence area of the impacting enterprise; with the proposition of mitigation measures and with the proposition of monitoring programs of the impacts. As regards the meeting of the technical-scientific recommendations, were identified consistent failures in the technical variables related with the range of the length of the studies; the observation of seasonality, samplal effort and replication of the sampling over the execution of the studies; the content of the listings of species presented in the studies; the comparison with previous studies performed at the regional or state level; the accomplishment of analyses based on the species vulnerability; the undertaking of analyses based on the application of ecological indices; the use of multivariate analyses, distribution patterns and of species-abundance in the accomplishment of the studies and the number of experts present in the team performing the studies. Those results point out, that the studies on the biotic mean conducted in the EIS present doubtful quality in the aspects concerned as far as the legal and technical-scientific rigor are concerned, and imposes the need that such studies be reviewed with more criterion by the environmental organ and be presented protocols with greater technical-scientific fundamentals for their accomplishment.

Liu, Chunling. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 234-244). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese; some appendixes in Chinese.

Bibliography: leaves 126-131.

After more than a decade of environmental impact assessment ( EIA ) provisions within South Australian Planning Act, 1982 it is appropriate to examine the role of the environmental impact statement ( EIS ) as a major element of EIA and an important decision making tool for major projects over this period. The thesis first provides a review of EIA from its overseas origins to its development at the Commonwealth level in Australia. This provides the context within which to examine the system of EIA for major developments or projects in South Australia, which are dealt with largely through the EIS process. The thesis examines the type of projects which, according to the discretionary criteria in the Planning Act, have attracted EIS requirements between 1982 - 1993 and uses this to determine generic groupings of projects. It is noted that marinas represent the largest group of projects with EIS requirements, although EISs have been called for power generation related projects, electricity transmission line projects, tourist related projects, industrial projects, mining projects, water management projects, transport projects and a number of other projects. The thesis examines the number of EISs that have been completed, whether or not the projects have been approved or rejected and to what extent any patterns have emerged. The thesis then focuses on all the completed EISs in terms of their content, timing of preparation, public involvement and response, associated legislative requirements, type and role of developer, type and role of EIS consultant, the assessment of the EIS, and the decision making process. The thesis notes the high approval rate for projects with completed EISs suggesting most of the environmental problems have been resolved or are capable of being resolved. It is also noted that a number of projects are abandoned before the EIS is ever completed and that the few rejected EIS proposals are associated with high numbers of public submissions. Although each of the rejected proposals has a complex history of project development, environmental assessment and negotiations, it is noted that the decision to reject the proposals was ultimately a political decision. The thesis comments on the limited role of the South Australian Planning Commission ( SAPC ) in EIS project decision making in South Australia and the increasing use of the Governor as a decision maker. Although the SAPC is the statutory planning authority it is constrained by having to have regard to the principles in the Development Plan which is geared toward development control rather than for the extraordinary major projects which become subject to EIS requirements. The thesis then examines proposed changes to EIA in the context of early attempts to initiate EIA reform in South Australia through to the current Development Bill. These proposals are placed in context with changes to EIA procedures that have taken place at the Commonwealth level, the proposed development of a national agreement on EIA, and also the implications for EIA which are likely to flow from recent Commonwealth initiatives on ecologically sustainable development strategies. In addition the implications of recently developed environment protection agencies and associated legislation are examined at both the State and Commonwealth levels. Collectively these reviews and analyses provide the context of current thinking on EIA as it is likely to affect South Australian EIA processes in the future. Finally the thesis discusses the evolving role of the South Australian EIS in the context of its evolutionary process and the proposed legislative changes in South Australia, together with other related initiatives. This discussion touches on a number of issues such as public administration, the actual practice of the EIA process as opposed to the theory of EIA and what is written into the EIA legislation. In conclusion an overview is given of the current role of the EIS with some predictions for the future of EIA in South Australia. / Thesis (M.Plan.)--Department of Architecture, 1993.

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning