Large-scale mining modifies the existing physical environment and has multiple long-term impacts on landscape but also on communities, and their cultural values. In Finland, social impact assessment has become a customary practice in assessing and estimating mining impacts that cause changes to the well-being of individual people and their livelihoods. However, the assessment is often lacking notions of social dimensions of the environment, neglecting discussing aspects such as localities and subjective well-being. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of considering the cultural benefits of the environment to human well-being in environmental decision-making. The purpose of this study is to explore and illustrate how cultural ecosystem services could contribute to the current practice in social impact assessments in Finnish mining projects by highlighting the relation between local people and environment through the valuation of cultural services. The study used a conceptual framework approach of cultural ecosystem services and conducted eight qualitative semi-structured interviews in two villages in Finnish Fell Lapland. The aim was to explore how the local people themselves describe their non-material benefits from the environment. Six out of the eight interviews were conducted walking with the participants. The interviews were recorded and later transcribed for analysis against the conceptual cultural ecosystem services framework. The results show how the well-being of local people was strongly linked to cultural benefits such as sense of place, enabled by meaningful activities in places that were often happening in mundane everyday places. The study implies the importance of considering cultural ecosystem services such as sense of place in the current social impact assessment practice as they help unveiling connections between people, the natural environment and subjective well-being.

In this study, the accuracy of predicted psycho-socio-economic impacts resulting from mining and infrastructure projects is investigated by comparing it to impacts shown to actually occur. A systems theoretical approach was followed in conjunction with a qualitative methodology in order to conceptualise impacts in the social systems they occur. Data was collected through a document review (which included a total of 17 documents pertaining to predicted impacts, and 24 documents pertaining to actual impacts) and analysed by means of thematic analysis, which rendered four main themes and 20 subthemes. The findings of the thematic analysis were subjected to second-order analysis, which enabled the categorisation of impacts according to the level of accuracy with which they are predicted. To understand why some impacts are incorrectly predicted, a third-order analysis was performed. The study suggests that many of the commonly predicted psycho-socio-economic impacts are less accurate than what they should ideally be, suggesting that some of the assumptions on which these predictions are based should be revised, as should the conceptualisation of the impacts. The researcher argues that, in order to make accurate predictions about the impacts resulting from mining and infrastructure projects, sufficient knowledge of the attributes of the project, the nature of the receiving environment, the causal processes by which the project will bring about changes in the receiving environment, and the value systems according to which communities judge whether a specific change constitutes a negative or positive impact, is required. This argument is substantiated by highlighting instances of inaccurate predictions relevant to each category of required information. More fundamentally, however, the researcher argues that inaccurate predictions are the result of inadequate consideration of the systemic nature of psycho-socio-economic impacts and the context in which they occur, precipitated by the incorrect use of the “social impact” metaphor. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Psychology / unrestricted

Within the Integrated Environmental Management (IEM) process, Environmental Assessment Practitioners are expected to gather information or evidence in order to formulate decisions on the suitability of development projects as it relates to the environment which takes the form of an Environmental Impact Assessment. The EIA decision-making framework relies mainly on a technocratic-, rationalist or technical-rational approach, which is based largely on cognitive or scientific knowledge. This over-reliance on scientific evidence (evidence-based knowledge) limits the level to which non-scientific evidence (value-based knowledge) is incorporated into the EIA decision-making framework. There is a concern that an over-reliance on evidence-based decision-making will lead to valuable information being overlooked or ignored, resulting in a skewed and fragmented process which could fail in ensuring environmental justice for the citizens of South Africa. The overall methodological approach that was used to achieve the aim and objectives of this study was of a qualitative nature, relying on three main methods, including document analysis, expert interviews and focus group meetings. The literature review provided six thematic areas of interest which was further elaborated during the thematic analysis of the data. One of the key findings of this research was that although the South African legislative framework makes provision for value-based decision-making processes, the EIA decision-making framework in particular is too rigid to incorporate non-scientific knowledge or value-based evidence. The need to shorten the EIA decision-making timeframes to allow for social and economic development in addition other challenges facing the IEM field can also attributed to an over-reliance on a formulaic tick-box approach which limits the incorporation of value-based decision-making in the EIA decision-making process. / Mini Dissertation (MA) University of Pretoria, 2018. / Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology / MA / Unrestricted

No description available.

Social Impact Assessment (SIA) identifies the intended and unintended impacts that proposed projects or developments are likely to have on a community or individuals and suggest mitigation measures to prevent these impacts and enhance the positive impacts. The main aim of this dissertation is to explore the significance and the status of SIA in a South African context. EIA is currently in its third era of mandatory practice and with an increasing number of SIAs, it is essential that the practice of SIA should be investigated. The aim of this dissertation was firstly reached by exploring the perspectives of SIA practitioners in South Africa through a questionnaire. The practitioners’ perspectives showed that despite distinct weaknesses in the practice of SIA, i.e. the lack of a fixed set of guidelines and a shortage of SIA skill in the practitioner community, SIA practice has improved since 1997 with the promulgation of ECA, although there is still room for improvement. Secondly a quality review was conducted on a sample of SIARs in South Africa using an adapted review package. The results revealed relatively weak report quality compared to EIA report quality, but with an improvement, in report quality since 1997. The quality review findings appear to confirm the perspectives of the practitioners regarding the state of SIA practice in South Africa. Despite the weaknesses in the SIA process, it appears that the SIA practitioner community is driven by best practice considerations, and that SIA practice is in line with international trends. It appears therefore that despite the observed weaknesses, SIA practice in South Africa is relatively healthy. It is recommended that instead of seeking to strengthen SIA practice by means of regulation and guidelines, SIA practitioners should rather ensure that SIA delivers what it is intended to deliver by ongoing pursuance of best practice, and by improved training and skills development. / Thesis (MSc (Geography and Environmental Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Social Impact Assessment (SIA) identifies the intended and unintended impacts that proposed projects or developments are likely to have on a community or individuals and suggest mitigation measures to prevent these impacts and enhance the positive impacts. The main aim of this dissertation is to explore the significance and the status of SIA in a South African context. EIA is currently in its third era of mandatory practice and with an increasing number of SIAs, it is essential that the practice of SIA should be investigated. The aim of this dissertation was firstly reached by exploring the perspectives of SIA practitioners in South Africa through a questionnaire. The practitioners’ perspectives showed that despite distinct weaknesses in the practice of SIA, i.e. the lack of a fixed set of guidelines and a shortage of SIA skill in the practitioner community, SIA practice has improved since 1997 with the promulgation of ECA, although there is still room for improvement. Secondly a quality review was conducted on a sample of SIARs in South Africa using an adapted review package. The results revealed relatively weak report quality compared to EIA report quality, but with an improvement, in report quality since 1997. The quality review findings appear to confirm the perspectives of the practitioners regarding the state of SIA practice in South Africa. Despite the weaknesses in the SIA process, it appears that the SIA practitioner community is driven by best practice considerations, and that SIA practice is in line with international trends. It appears therefore that despite the observed weaknesses, SIA practice in South Africa is relatively healthy. It is recommended that instead of seeking to strengthen SIA practice by means of regulation and guidelines, SIA practitioners should rather ensure that SIA delivers what it is intended to deliver by ongoing pursuance of best practice, and by improved training and skills development. / Thesis (MSc (Geography and Environmental Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

In the late 1970s, Southern California Edison Company proposed the construction of a 500 Kilovolt transmission line from Buckeye, Arizona (just west of Phoenix) to the Devers substation near Banning California. The proposed routes crossed the traditional territory of numerous Native American groups such as the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi Southern Paiutes, Cocopah, Mojave, Maricopa, O’Odham, Quechan, and Yavapai. As required by the National Environmental Policy Act, an environmental impact assessment was conducted to understand potential impacts this project could have on human and natural resources. For the first time since the passage of NEPA, Native American concerns were fully considered. This report presents the findings of the first Native American social impact assessment in the United States. This report presents contemporary Native American values that were pertinent to planning, construction, operation, and maintenance of high voltage generation and transmission facilities. The ethnographic study also considered the following aspects: (a) determine if, where, and in what manner such values were relevant to the Devers Palo Verde study area, (b) define differing levels of significance that Native Americans assigned to geographical points, zones, or issues within the subject study area exhibiting such values, (c) assign appropriate sensitivity ratings to the pertinent points, zones, or issues of significance and rank such points, zones, and issues from highest to lowest, explain what actions might constitute varying degrees, kinds of impact to those points, zones, or issues, and (e) provide recommendations for mitigation of negative impacts to those points, zones, or issues.

This project examined the potential impacts that construction of the Western Transmission System of the Allen-Warner Valley Energy System would have on the ethnographic and historic resources of the Mojave Desert area. The Western Transmission System of the Allen-Warner Valley Energy System project consisted of two 500-kilovolt transmission lines extending from Southern California Edison Company’s Eldorado Substation in southern Nevada westward across the Mojave Desert to Lugo Substation in Victorville, California. The ethnographic component of this study included the identification of culturally affiliated Native American groups and extensive field investigations which focused on ethnohistory and ethnogeography of the study area. The ethnographic study also documented Native American recommendations for mitigation by Southern California Edison Company of potential adverse impacts that the project had on Native American values and resources.

O investimento de impacto é um conceito intermediário entre investimento tradicional e filantropia, e ainda representa uma fração pequena dos valores movimentados nas outras duas áreas. No entanto, é uma área que vem crescendo muito rapidamente e ganhando adeptos não só entre as organizações sociais, mas também nos mercados privado e governamental, e estima-se que essa modalidade de investimento possa movimentar cerca de um trilhão de dólares em 2020. Se o grande diferencial entre o investimento de impacto e o tradicional é justamente o impacto positivo gerado, para que o desenvolvimento do campo seja efetivo, urge um melhor entendimento do que é este impacto e como avaliá-lo. Assim, com a visão de contribuir com a discussão acerca da avaliação do impacto social na seara dos investimentos de impacto, o presente trabalho buscou responder à questão de pesquisa \"Como realizar a avaliação prévia (due diligence) do impacto social de um novo projeto?\". Para tanto, foi proposto um modelo de análise do impacto baseado na experiência do Acumen Fund, que foi aplicado no projeto de tecnologia assistiva mDREET, desenvolvido pelo negócio social Solar Ear. O foco do trabalho foi a fase inicial da avaliação dos investimentos, a due diligence, e o resultado obtido foi a demonstração, na prática, de um modelo simples de avaliação, que se mostrou válido para disseminar a compreensão do processo que leva ao impacto social esperado. Por demandar poucos recursos financeiros e de tempo, uma vez entendido, este modelo pode ser adaptado e replicado em diferentes contextos. / Impact investing is a recent concept, intermediary between traditional investment and philanthropy, and, in terms of assets under management, represents a small fraction from both other areas. Nevertheless, it has been growing at a high pace, and not only amongst the third sector. The private and public sector have been making some moves towards this direction and the estimated potential of this market is around one trillion dollars by 2020. If the big difference between impact investing and traditional investing is the intentional social and environmental positive impact, to enable a consistent growth, there is an urgent need to better define what this impact means and how to measure it. In order to contribute to this discussion, the current work aims to answer the research question \"How to make the due diligence of a new project\'s social impact?\". To accomplish this goal, the author proposes an impact evaluation model based on Acumen Fund practices. This framework was applied in mDREET, an assistive technology project developed by a social business named Solar Ear. The focus has been placed on the tools used in the due diligence phase and as a result, it is presented a simple and low cost process for social impact due diligence, which can be further refined as the company progress in the investment analysis pipeline. Once this process is understood, it can be adapted and used in different occasion/context.

Wuhan China and Borlänge Sweden collaborate to promote sustainable business growths. This thesis, being part of sustainable business project, aims to understand how business can contribute to sustainable development and explore mechanisms of social life cycle assessment. In an effort to answer research questions and further to achieve the general purpose, a BOD online monitor case study is described and analyzed by applying both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data collection is based on interviews and documents. In the case of BOD online monitor, the thesis identifies Boffin and Universtar companies’ CSR levels. It also observes that SLCA method is able to discover Boffin and Universtar’s social performances at life cycle impact assessment stage and disclose online monitor’s social impacts at interpretation stage. The thesis finally concludes that business’ CSR level can be evaluated from three dimensions: companies’ goals on conducting business, business operation performances and resolved problems. SLCA method is able to disclose enterprises’ social performances, discover underlying factors that might hinder corporations’ ability to contribute to sustainable development and improve product’s social at the same time.