The role of ESIA and SEA in mainstreaming biodiversity

December 2017
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SEA and ESIA for Economic Corridors and

Infrastructure Development
The purpose of this case is to provide information on re- This document is relevant for:
cent experiences in the use of environmental and social • Government authorities responsible for regulation of
impact assessment (ESIA) 1 and, moreover, strategic envi- the infrastructure sector;
ronmental assessment (SEA) for the infrastructure sector. • Authorities responsible for national and regional de-
The case focusses on the surge of economic corridors velopment planning;
around the world, with infrastructure as a vitally important • Authorities with responsibilities for protection of envi-
component. ronment, biodiversity, human rights and social justice;
• International finance institutes and donors supporting
While the role of ESIA in assessing, avoiding, mitigating infrastructure development;
and compensating the impacts of individual infrastructure • Civil society organisations representing stakeholders
projects is fairly well known, the positive role of SEA in and/or biodiversity (potentially) affected by infrastruc-
developing a vision on the planning of economic corridors ture development activities;
and associated infrastructure is only recently becoming • Private sector companies dependent on, or involved in
visible. The OECD has defined SEA as a range of analytical developing new or upgrading existing infrastructure.
and participatory approaches that aim to integrate envi-
ronmental considerations into policies, plans, and pro- Infrastructure and economic corridors
grammes and evaluate the interlinkages with economic Estimates of annual global infrastructure investment
and social considerations. It can play a proactive role in needs range from $3 trillion to $7 trillion. It is estimated
integrating infrastructure activities in the broader context that by 2050, 25 million kilometres of new roads will be
of regional development planning and in aligning these built. This represents a 60 per cent increase in global road
activities with existing national policies (including biodi- infrastructure since 2010. It is further estimated that 90
versity policies). per cent of new road construction will occur in developing
countries, many of which are exceptionally high in biodi-
versity. With regard to railway infrastructure, the situation

11 Multilateral development banks nowadays often use the term Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) to emphasise the inclusive
nature of impact assessment. The term EIA is used in most national legal contexts; whether social aspects are included or nor differs per coun-
try

SEA and ESIA for Economic Corridors and Infrastructure Development ∙ 1

 The role of ESIA and SEA in mainstreaming biodiversity

Infrastructure serves to connect ‘nodes’ or

Biodiversity Convention perspective on biodiversity
‘hubs’ with concentrations of activities such
mainstreaming through ESIA/SEA
as seaports, industrial centres, regional dis-
tribution centres, urban areas and areas of
Mainstreaming. The CBD Conference of Parties decided to consider
agricultural development. Such linear infra-
the mainstreaming of biodiversity into the sectors of energy and
structure is aimed at enhancing the compet-
mining, infrastructure, manufacturing and processing, and health
itiveness of a corridor by reducing the cost
(Decision XIII/3). From the perspective of the Convention, a key aim
of transport and of doing business and fa-
of mainstreaming biodiversity in these sectors is to avoid, reduce
cilitating the start-up and operation of
or mitigate any negative impacts, while maximizing any potential
business ventures in the corridor. It includes
benefits to biodiversity. Article 6(b) of the Convention calls for
roads, railways, waterways, pipelines, power
Parties to “integrate, as far as possible and as appropriate, the
lines and cables.
conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity into
Corridors may be turned into Special Eco-
relevant sectoral or cross-sectoral plans, programmes and
nomic Zones with special fiscal regimes, as
policies”.
a measure to boost economic activities
ESIA and SEA. Two of the most important tools for addressing the
within the corridor. Countries may also have
impacts from the infrastructure, energy and mining sectors, and to
geostrategic interests in the creation of in-
a lesser extent, the manufacturing and processing sectors, are
ternational infrastructure corridors to have
environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) and strategic
better access to their markets abroad.
environmental assessment (SEA) (CBD/SBSTTA/21/5). Convention
Article 14 asks for the use of impact assessment, elaborated in
Issues linked to infrastructure
“Voluntary Guidelines on Biodiversity-Inclusive Impact Assessment”
development
(Decision VIII/28), further detailed for marine and coastal areas in
Direct impacts. The nature of infrastructure
Decision XI/18.
projects differs widely. Direct impacts de-
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a number
pend on type of activity (e.g. road or pipe-
of goals that are closely related to the above mentioned sectors.
line), applied technology (e.g. above or un-
Given the indivisible nature of the 2030 Agenda, these goals and
derground pipeline), geographic circum-
targets must be achieved while also achieving the goals for
stances (e.g. seismic, flood, weather related
biodiversity, climate action, as well as multiple targets for
risks), type of ecosystem (e.g. wetland or
sustainability. ESIA and SEA are internationally practised, often
dryland), population density (in relation to
legally embedded, instruments capable of assessing the
impacts by noise, dust, pollution, accident
consequences of policies, plans programmes and projects from an
risks, etc.), traffic density (disturbance;
integrated SDG perspective.
wildlife-vehicle collision risk) and more. In
general, linear infrastructure projects use
is similar. It is estimated that, over the next 40 years, pas-
the concept of ‘effect zone’, i.e. a zone of a certain width
senger and freight travel will double over 2010 levels. To
parallel to the entire project, used to quantify potential
meet this demand, rail infrastructure will increase with an
negative ecological, environmental and social impacts.
estimated 335,000 kilometres of rail track.
From a biodiversity perspective important potential direct
Much of the anticipated infrastructure development will be
impacts are habitat loss, fragmentation, disturbance, al-
driven by the need to access resources, such as minerals,
tered drainage patterns, and erosion/sedimentation of
oil and gas and timber, as well as in order to improve trade
aquatic habitats. Infrastructure can act as a barrier in wild-
and transportation. The infrastructure sector is intricately
life migration corridors; road induced animal mortality can
linked to developments in other sectors. This is why in-
be significant; power transmission lines are notorious bird
ternational economic corridors are high on the political
killers. Transport infrastructure may serve as a means to
agenda. Economic corridors are the focus of large targeted
rapidly spread invasive, non-native plant and animal spe-
investment strategies, which include major transport sys-
cies.
tems and bilateral agreements on trade, power intercon-
nection and generation, tourism, agriculture, and tele-
communications.

SEA and ESIA for Economic Corridors and Infrastructure Development ∙ 2

 The role of ESIA and SEA in mainstreaming biodiversity

Indirect impacts. Infrastructure facil- Table 1: Wildlife impacts by linear infrastructure UNEP/CMS/COP11/Doc.23.3.2
itates further developments, with in-
tended (e.g. planned human settle-
ment) or unintended consequences
(e.g. illegal settlement, hunting or
logging in formerly inaccessible ar-
eas, spread of communicable dis-
eases such as AIDS). These impacts
are usually more severe and affecting
a wider area than the direct infra-
structure impacts. Especially road
expansion can open up areas for new
settlement and exploitation, poten-
tially leading to overexploitation of
resources, land speculation, human
wildlife conflicts, loss of culture, local
knowledge and livelihood of indige-
nous groups.

Planning hierarchy
In planning of economic corridors
three tiers, or levels of decision mak-
ing can be recognised. At each level
both the nature of activities and the technical design and selection of the exact location
geographical area of intervention are more narrowly de- within the selected routing zone.
fined:
1. Plan definition. Based on national development poli- In practice, corridor development will not neatly follow the
cies, the needs and opportunities for development are above hierarchy. A corridor initiative often builds on on-
identified within a broadly defined corridor. A corridor going regional development processes; it is a combination
aims at connecting existing or potential development of up-to-date existing activities, upgrading of old facili-
‘nodes’ or ‘hubs’ to (inter)national markets. Sectors to ties and completely new activities. For example, the
be developed are identified and related infrastructure LAPSSET corridor in Northern Kenya creates significant
needs, defined. Often, a corridor connects different new infrastructure to connect the already upgraded port
countries, so the planning may be coordinated under a of Lamu with the hinterland (see box 1). Contrary to this,
supranational body. In this phase a corridor may be the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania
represented by a network of connected nodes; lines (SAGCOT) is a public-private partnership intended to im-
connecting the nodes do not necessarily have to be ge- prove incomes, employment and food security in southern
ographically defined (yet). Tanzania, building on the already available infrastructure.
2. Programme definition. Based on priorities defined in The planning of multiple corridors in the Greater Mekong
the overarching plan, investment programmes for a Sub region (see box 2) is a mixture of both.
specific area and/or sector are defined, closely coordi-
nated with the identification of alternative types and The role of ESIA and SEA
routings of linear infrastructure. For example, the Good Environmental Impact Assessment can prevent or
transport of goods can be done by road, rail, waterway remediate many issues at the level of individual projects.
or multimodal. Obviously a national transport policy Many examples of good practice guidance documents on
will provide guidance. The routing alternatives are ge- sustainable infrastructure development have been devel-
ographically defined zones up to some 100 km width. oped for countries, sub-sectors (roads, pipelines, power-
3. Project definition. Definition of concrete projects to be lines, etc.) and themes (eco-friendly design measures;
implemented. For linear infrastructure the focus lies on guidelines for areas with migratory mammals; etc.).

SEA and ESIA for Economic Corridors and Infrastructure Development ∙ 3

 The role of ESIA and SEA in mainstreaming biodiversity

ESIA is, however, not capable of addressing issues like: • Assess the adequacy of the existing institutional ca-
• Decisions at higher planning levels, on for example the pacity;
strategic nodes to be connected, the priority sectors to • Strengthening of relevant regulatory frame-works (en-
be developed, the location and dimensioning of indus- vironment, health & safety, cultural heritage, biodiver-
trial zones to be developed, the type of infrastructure sity, etc.);
(e.g. road, rail, multimodal) to be developed, and the • Addressing the cumulative, trans-boundary and cli-
geographic location (routing) of such infrastructure. mate change effects;
• Assessing the in-country staff capacity, expertise, reg- • Assessing consequences of population movements;
ulations, policies and institutions to coordinate the de- • (Required capacity for) Compliance and enforcement
velopment of new corridors and to balance the in mechanisms;
terests of the corridor investors with other social, eco- • Streamlining of governance mechanisms and inter-
nomic and environmental interests. ministry / international coordination.
• Assessment of the contribution of the corridor to a
country development strategy: how can projects in the An example of how SEA can position a corridor plan with
corridor contribute to inclusive and sustainable growth a broader development context is the SEA for the East-
(SDGs); how can they contribute to a National Biodiver- African LAPSSET Corridor. Example 2 is about the use of
sity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)? biodiversity corridors to inform decision making on eco-
• Assess the access to required resources (e.g. power nomic corridors.
and water).
• Availability of labour; social cohesion within commu- Example 1: SEA for the East-African LAPSSET Corridor
nities of locals and migrant workers. The LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority (LCDA) is
• The cumulative, cross-boundary and climate change developing the Lamu Port-South Sudan- Ethiopia
effects of all activities. (LAPSSET) Infrastructure Corridor, an integrated transport
infrastructure corridor. It spans over 2000 km and brings
What SEA can provide together Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The program
Interconnected projects along entire corridors may have consists of seven key infrastructure projects, including
cumulative and multiplier impacts on: sustainability; crit- port development, interregional highways, crude and
ical ecosystems and biodiversity; and the poor and disad- product oil pipelines, railway lines, 3 international air-
vantaged. These impacts are likely to be significant and ports, 3 resort cities, and a multipurpose dam along the
will require an integrated approach to management. Cor- Tana River.
ridor-wide SEAs are therefore needed as a basis for shap- The draft SEA has recently been published. In 47 meetings
ing and guiding development and for setting the context a total of 1871 stakeholders had the opportunity to dis-
for more detailed environmental assessment at lower cuss the proposed plans and raise issues. The SEA is a
planning level. An increasing number of such SEAs is be- good example of SEA at the highest strategic level, super-
ing produced over the last decade, often initiated by mul- imposing an ambitious and large corridor plan on a region
tilateral donors, but increasingly adopted by individual with serious environmental and social problems.
countries and international corridor authorities.
At the highest planning tier, the (inter)national economic Six questions were framed to focus the SEA Study:
corridor plan, SEA can contribute in: i) What are the defining features of the Northern Coun-
• Integrating environmental, social and economic con- ties targeted to be transformed through LAPSSET;
cerns and alternatives into corridor development plan- ii) How well is LAPSSET attuned to drive the economic
ning; transformation;
• Align national sector plans within a country and be- iii) What is the prevailing legal regulatory, policy, insti-
tween countries; tutional and strategy framework;
• Align the corridor plan with relevant other national iv) What opportunities are available for LAPSSET;
policies, such as a National Biodiversity Strategy and v) What are the social and environmental costs at-
Action Plan; tendant to achievement of LAPSSET goals;
• Improve the cross-sector collaboration and coordina- vi) What measures need to be put in place to secure
tion during the planning process; gains anticipated under LAPSSET.

SEA and ESIA for Economic Corridors and Infrastructure Development ∙ 4

 The role of ESIA and SEA in mainstreaming biodiversity

The impact analysis addressed three different perspec- life in the region; sabotage of the corridor is considered a
tives: (i) the compatibility/relevance of the plan to govern- possibility.
ment planning goals at national, regional and county lev- A large number of measures is defined to counteract the
els; (ii) international standards for sustainable develop- observed problems, in terms of (i) policy adjustments, (ii)
ment, and (iii) stated stakeholder concerns and interests. legislative action, and (iii) strategic action plans, all within
a set time frame. The SEA further calls for follow up ac-
In the assessment the SEA identified a number of major tions, such as full ESIA studies for all LAPSSET projects,
concerns for the corridor: Resettlement Action Plans for displaced people prepared
LAND. Increasing structural poverty due to drought, de- in full consultation with stakeholders, and where doubts
clining land productivity, accelerated erosion. In a subsist- on the impact prevail, particularly with regard to water and
ence economy that relies on ecosystem goods and ser- wildlife, the pre-cautionary approach should be adopted.
vices, land becomes a critical resource whose access and
control is central to livelihood security and is often de- Example 2: Biodiversity corridors in the Greater Mekong
fended aggressively. The impact of LAPSSET can be posi- Subregion
tive or negative and highly depends on how the pro- The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) is one of the fastest
gramme is implemented. growing areas in the world. Under the GMS Economic Co-
operation Program (ECP) billions have been spent on in-
WATER. On account of projected population growth, the frastructure to provide physical connectivity in the region.
national water availability situation will by 2030 drop to Physical transport corridors are developed to serve as eco-
absolute scarcity. Water demand will largely outstrip sup- nomic corridors.
ply by 2030. Imposition of LAPSSET interventions on such The GMS is also one of the world’s richest biodiversity
strained water budgets will aggravate an already stressed hotspots. The pressures associated with the region’s eco-
scenario. nomic growth are causing habitat fragmentation and un-
precedented loss of biodiversity, including key
WILDLIFE. LAPSSET is being developed against the
backdrop of massive decline in the national wild-
life resource base, referred to as Kenya’s silent
disaster. Yet, wildlife provides the main selling
point for tourism, Kenya’s number one foreign
income earner. The Corridor interferes with 13
protected areas, many community-owned and
private ranches or conservancies, 12 important
bird areas, 10 National Parks or Reserves and
several migration routes of large mammals. Alt-
hough the transport corridor itself will pose di-
rect and long-term consequences to wildlife, it is
the anticipated realignment in land-use that will
probably pose the greatest threat.

POTENTIAL CONFLICT. The most drastic long-

term impact of LAPSSET is land use transfor-
mation along the Corridor and beyond. A sce-
nario whereby jobs and opportunities associated
with LAPSSET appear to benefit newcomers at the
expense of locals can be a potential source of
conflict. Armed conflict between groups of mo-
bile pastoralists driven from their dry season
grazing area and other groups already is a fact of

SEA and ESIA for Economic Corridors and Infrastructure Development ∙ 5

 The role of ESIA and SEA in mainstreaming biodiversity

ecosystems services that sustain national economies. At the second planning tier of programme development,
Without dedicated action, GMS may lose more than half of SEA can assist in:
its remaining natural land and water habitats over the next • Align the routing alternatives with spatial / regional
century. development plans;
The GMS Core Environment Program (CEP) and the Biodi- • Assess location alternatives of industrial zones in re-
versity Conservation Corridors Initiative (BCI) were lation to infrastructural connectivity;
launched to, among other goals, (i) promote the use of SEA • Assessing potential positive and negative interactions
for economic corridors and sector strategies, and (ii) to with productive sectors (livestock, agriculture, fisher-
establish sustainable management and use regimes in bi- ies, etc.);
odiversity conservation corridors. • Establishing priorities for conservation and develop-
BCI consists of a network of connected protected and sus- ment, characterisation of stakeholders;
tainable use areas to conserve the region’s critical ecosys- • Addressing human rights, land use rights, and com-
tems. Biodiversity corridors are a strategy for combating munity participation;
habitat fragmentation and conserving threatened species • Planning of public services where new developments
and high-value ecological processes that require large are expected (education, healthcare, public water sup-
spatial areas for their viability over the long-term. This re- ply).
sulted in a map with clearly demarcated areas of prime Example 3 provides information on how SEA can pro-ac-
conservation interest. tively inform routing decisions.
The very existence of the Biodiversity Corridor map has
had a significant impact: (i) all planning studies took the Example 3: Steps in the SEA for the development of a gas
map into account; (ii) the international donor community pipeline network for South Africa
puts heavier requirements on projects located in the bio- Phase 1: Positive mapping based on energy supply and
diversity corridor; (iii) additional safeguards are being re- demand resulting in preliminary corridors
quested for proposed projects; and (iv) national leaders of Phase 2: Assessment Phase
the participating countries have signed for the BCI. • Task I: Confirmation of initial corridors - 100 km
wide, linking supply and demand areas. Gather
By simply superimpos-
ing an economic corri-
dor development plan
over the biodiversity
corridor map, areas of
potential conflict are
highlighted and the
need to think about
potential alternatives or
mitigation measures
immediately becomes
obvious. SEA provided
the procedural context
to facilitate this pro-
cess. In the pilot SEA
for the North-South
Economic Corridor a
start was made to also
add ecosystem services
to the BCI map.

SEA and ESIA for Economic Corridors and Infrastructure Development ∙ 6

 The role of ESIA and SEA in mainstreaming biodiversity

information from gas users, business and government

stakeholders.
• Task II: Negative mapping, based on environmental
(biodiversity!) and engineering constraints; identify
areas of low, medium/high (mitigate) and very high
sensitivity (avoid).
• Task III: Corridor refinement: optimal placement from
‘utilisation’ and ‘constraints’ perspectives
• Task IV: Specialists assessment and stakeholder input
for final energy corridor alignment
• Task V: Gazetting process – release of SEA for public
comment division of responsibilities over different government
Phase 3: Decision-Making Framework: environmental agencies and private sector partners. It furthermore pro-
management measures and planning interventions for vides a clear view on the anxieties and aspirations of other
inclusion in legal environmental framework and local stakeholders in society.
government planning tools. 2 For society the use of SEA may lead to a better contribution
of an economic corridor to regional and national develop-
ment, while minimising its negative consequences. The
Advantages of SEA weakest groups in society and biodiversity re
For governments, the use of SEA leads to better prepar- ceive the extra attention they require, preferably accom
edness and strengthened governance for management of panied by pro-poor and pro-environment investment op-
social, biodiversity and natural resources issues. It pro- tions.
vides clarity of tasks that need to be carried out, with clear

Decision-making needs Environmental and social assessment issues

National policies related to economic corridors Economic Corridor SEA

 National development policy  Development scenarios
 Sector and spatial policies  Infrastructure alternatives / combinations
 Regulatory frameworks (social, environmental, biodiversity,  Assessment of adequacy of institutions
financial)  Stakeholder analysis & consultation
 Additional investment needs (public services, urban planning,  Present and future situation (business as usual)
etc.)  Assessment criteria: environmental and social
 Capacity needs (compliance & enforcement, vocational edu-  Risk assessment
cation, r&d, etc.)  Governance arrangements/ international coordination

Corridor programme definition Routing Programme SEA

 Connect supply and demand areas  Assess alternative routings and technologies
 Specify objectives and design criteria  Regional stakeholders consultation
 Organise (inter)national and regional sectoral and stake-  Environmental, biodiversity and social priorities
holder coordination  Consistency with regional / spatial planning
 Align with regional planning  Sector interactions & cumulative impacts

Infrastructure project Project ESIA

 Siting and License decisions  Requirements for construction and operation, including miti-
 Enforcement of Environmental and Social Management Plan gation and compensation measures
 Roles & responsibilities of proponent and local government  Site specific location alternatives
 Resettlement planning and compensation
 Communities involvement plan

2https://gasnetwork.csir.co.za/sea-process/

SEA and ESIA for Economic Corridors and Infrastructure Development ∙ 7

 The role of ESIA and SEA in mainstreaming biodiversity

For the private sector the use of SEA by government agen-

cies has the advantage of working with well-prepared Examples of SEAs for plan- and
government agencies that know what social, economic programme level
and environmental issues are at stake. Necessary regula-
tory instruments have been prepared. Such clarity of roles Plan level SEAs
and responsibilities for private companies and govern- • 2017. SEA for LAPSSET Corridor Development
ment agencies may contribute to effective investments (Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia)
and maximising benefits for companies as well as society. http://www.lapsset.go.ke
The process takes place within transparent boundaries of • 2012. Strategic Regional Environmental and
sustainable and inclusive development and is established Social Assessment (SRESA) Interim Report of
in collaboration with stakeholders from society. Last but SAGCOT: the Southern Agricultural Growth
not least, ESIA for private or public investment projects Corridor of Tanzania http://www.sagcot.com/
becomes much easier, with significant data already avail-
• 2012. Strategic Environmental, Poverty and
able and clear social and environmental conditions pro-
Social Assessment of Trade and Transport
vided.
Sector Reforms in Pakistan (World Bank)

The NCEA Programme level SEAs

The Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assess-
• 2009. GMS-CEP North–South Economic Corridor
ment is an independent body of experts. It advises na-
Strategy and Action Plan, linking Kunming to
tional and international governments on the quality of en-
Bangkok, Kunming to Hanoi, and Hanoi to
vironmental assessment reports in order to contribute to
Nanning. http://www.gms-eoc.org
sound decision-making. In addition, the NCEA supports
• 2016. Northern Economic Corridor (NEC) – SEAs
the strengthening of EA systems in low and middle income
for the Uganda and Kenya sections.
countries and makes its extensive knowledge of environ-
http://www.works.go.ug/nec/
mental assessment available to all.
• IRRSA. South American Council of Infrastructure
and Planning (COSIPLAN) has under the IRRSA
Contact infrastructure programme developed a Strategic
Mr. Arend Kolhoff PhD, Technical Secretary NCEA
Environmental and Social Evaluation
[email protected] / +31-30-2347604
Methodology for their network of corridor
plans. http://www.iirsa.org/

SEA and ESIA for Economic Corridors and Infrastructure Development ∙ 8