IFC - Good Practice Note - Cumulative Impacts

EXTERNAL PEER REVIEW DRAFT
Good Practice Note
Cumulative Impact Assessment and Management

Guidance for the Private Sector in Emerging Markets
International Finance Corporation World Bank Group

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ESSA Technologies Ltd.

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January 2013
Citation:
Good Practice Note - Cumulative Impact Assessment and Management: Guidance for the
Private Sector in Emerging Markets (2012). Jointly prepared by ESSA Technologies Ltd.,
Richmond Hill, ON and the International Finance Corporation World Bank Group.
[Washington, DC] [ 51 ] pp.
DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

Private Sector in Emerging Markets
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................................................iii
Opening Page ............................................................................................................................................... 4
IFCs Approach ............................................................................................................................................. 5
1. What is Cumulative Impact Assessment and Management and Why is it Needed? ............................. 7
1.1 What are Cumulative Impacts? ............................................................................................................... 7
1.2 What is Cumulative Impact Assessment and Management? ............................................................... 10
1.3 Under what conditions should a CIA be conducted? ............................................................................ 10
1.4 What are the expected outcomes of CIA? ............................................................................................ 11
1.5 How does CIA compare to other E&S Risk Management Tools? ........................................................ 13
1.5.1 Comparing ESIAs and CIAs ....................................................................................................... 14
2. What is the Process for Implementing Cumulative Impact Assessment and Management? ............... 15
Step 1: Scoping Phase I VECs, Spatial and Temporal Boundaries ........................................................ 16
Step 2: Scoping Phase II Other Activities and Environmental Drivers .................................................... 18
Step 3: Establish information on baseline status of VECs. ........................................................................ 20
Step 4: Assess cumulative impacts on VECs ............................................................................................. 21
Step 5: Assess significance of predicted cumulative impacts ..................................................................... 23
Step 6: Management of Cumulative Impacts Design and Implementation .............................................. 24
3. Are there any Challenges with Implementation of Cumulative Impacts Assessment and Management?
How can these Challenges be overcome? ................................................................................................. 26
3.1 Recommendation 1: Clarify Roles and Responsibilities ....................................................................... 27
3.2 Recommendation 2: Establish and maintain a constructive relationship with government and other
stakeholders ................................................................................................................................................ 28
4. Closing Remarks .................................................................................................................................. 29
References .................................................................................................................................................. 33
APPENDIXES
Appendix 1. Examples of indicators to assess incremental project impacts and indicators for
cumulative assessment of the same impacts ..................................................................... 41
Appendix 2. Basic Logic Framework Lessons from CIA Practice .......................................................... 43
Appendix 3. Standard Annotated ToR for a Rapid Cumulative Impact Assessment (RCIA) .................... 46
FIGURES
Figure 1: PS1 CIA Recommended Approach.............................................................................................. 6
Figure 2. ESIA: Project-centered perspective ........................................................................................... 14
Figure 3. CIA: VEC-centered perspective ................................................................................................. 14
Figure 4. CIA Components (After Farris 2008) .......................................................................................... 14

TABLES
Table 1. CIA Governance Gaps ................................................................................................................ 27
Table 2. Roles and Responsibilities of Participants in CIA under Ideal Governance Conditions ............. 31
Table 3. Interactions with Stakeholders in CIA.......................................................................................... 32
BOXES
Box 1. Demise of the Aral Sea ................................................................................................................... 8
Box 2. Valued Environmental and Social Components (VECs)*................................................................ 9
Box 3. Hydro Cascade with no governmental requirement for CIA.......................................................... 12
Box 4. Contrasting Views of the Need for Impact Management .............................................................. 15
Box 5. CIA When Different Project Components Are Subject to Separate ESIAs ................................... 15
Box 6. Rules of Thumb - How to Set Geographical and Temporal Boundaries ....................................... 17
Box 7. Establishing the Spatial Boundary for CIA ..................................................................................... 17
Box 8. Cumulative Impacts of Climate and Hydropower ........................................................................... 18
Box 9. Strategic Approach to Assessing Multiple Small Developments .................................................. 19
Box 10. Strategic Approach to Assessing Multiple Small Developments................................................. 22
Box 11. RCIA of Hydro Impacts on American Eel .................................................................................... 23
Box 12. Shared Responsibility for Management of Cumulative Impacts ................................................. 25
Box 13. Mitigation of Panama Hydroelectric Developments .................................................................... 26
Box 14. Regional Collaboration in CIA ..................................................................................................... 28
ii

LIST OF ACRONYMS
CIA
Cumulative Impact Assessment and Management
CEA
Cumulative Effect Assessment
DAI
Direct Area of Influence
ESIA
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment
ESMS
Environmental and Social Management System
GN1
IFC Guidance Note 1
IFC
International Finance Corporation
PS
IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability
RCIA
Rapid Cumulative Impact Assessment
SEA
Strategic Environmental Assessment
VEC, VECs
Valued Environmental Component(s) (ecosystem, social, or cultural)
iii

OPENING PAGE
The major environmental and social management challenges that we face today loss of
biodiversity, the decline of ocean fisheries, limitations on food security, scarcity of usable
freshwater resources, increases in urban poverty, and climate change - are all the result of
cumulative impacts from a large number of activities that are for the most part individually
insignificant, but which together have had regional or
even global repercussions. The importance of
understanding the cumulative environmental and social
impacts from multiple projects or activities located in
The
US
Council
on
the same geographic region or affecting the same
Environmental Quality (1997)
resource (e.g. watershed, airshed) has been
defines CEA as follows: the
acknowledged for decades. In some cases the most
impact on the environment
ecologically devastating environmental effects, and its
which results from the
subsequent social consequences, may not result from
incremental impact of the
the direct effects of a particular project or activity but
action when added to their
from the combination of existing stresses and the
past, present and reasonably
individually minor effects of multiple actions over time
foreseeable future actions
(Clark, 1994).
regardless of what agency
(federal or non-federal) or
Consequently, though an environmental and social
person undertakes such
impact assessment (ESIA) is an essential tool to
other action. Hegman et al.
assess and manage the environmental and social
(1999) define cumulative
impacts of individual projects, it may be insufficient to
effects as changes to the
identify and manage the incremental impacts on areas
environment that are caused
or resources used or directly impacted by a project from
by an action in combination
other existing, planned or reasonably defined
with other past, present and
developments at the time the risks and impacts
future actions.
identification process is conducted.
Cumulative impacts are contextual and encompass a
broad spectrum of impacts at different spatial and
temporal scales 1. In some cases, cumulative impacts
will occur because a series of projects of the same type are being developed, for example when
a series of hydroelectric projects are constructed or planned on the same river or within the
same watershed, when multiple oil and gas projects or mines are being developed in close
proximity or when a series of wind farms are constructed or planned within the same flyway or
region. In other cases cumulative impacts will occur from combined effects over a given
resource of a mix of different types of projects, for example the development of a mine site,
access roads, transmission lines, and adjacent land uses.
The purpose of this IFC Good Practice Note is to provide practical guidance to companies
investing in emerging markets to improve their understanding, assessment, and management of
cumulative environmental and social impacts associated with their projects.
A given impact may be generated at a specific site or moment in time, but its consequences may be felt at a different geographical
area (e.g downwind or downstream), or materialize years after (e.g. bioaccumulation, resilience threshold is reached) thus
transcending the traditional direct area of influence - DAI concept, and thus requiring an expansion of the geographical boundaries
of the impact assessment and/or the time frame used for the analysis.

IFCS APPROACH
In the context of Performance Standard on Environmental and Social Sustainability PS1:
Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts, the IFC
recognizes that in some instances, private sector developers need to consider cumulative
effects in their environmental and social impact and risk identification and management process.
Therefore, the IFC believes that when private sector project sponsors are faced with cumulative
impact, it should have mechanisms to identify the magnitude and significance of its contribution
to such accumulated environmental and social impacts and risks, and include appropriate
mitigation measures as an integral component of the projects ESMS.
IFC considers good practice for private sector management of cumulative impacts to be two
pronged:
Effective application of the Mitigation Hierarchy 2 in environmental and social

management of the specific project contributions to the expected cumulative impacts;
and
Best efforts to engage, enhance, and contribute to a multi-stakeholder collaborative

approach for the implementation of management actions that are beyond the capacity of
an individual project proponent.
PS 1 defines the area of influence to encompass cumulative impacts that result from the
incremental impact, on areas or resources used or directly impacted by the project, from other
existing, planned or reasonably defined developments at the time the risks and impact
identification process is conducted. PS1 offers some context to limit the cumulative impacts to
be addressed to those impacts generally recognized as important on the basis of scientific
concerns and/or concerns from Affected Communities and provides examples such as
incremental contribution of gaseous emissions to an air-shed; reduction of water flows in a
watershed due to multiple withdrawals; increases in sediment loads to a watershed; interference
with migratory routes or wildlife movement; or more traffic congestion and accidents due to
increases in vehicular traffic on community roadways.
Even though PS1 does not expressly require, or put the sole onus on, private sector clients to
complete a full Cumulative Impact Assessment and Management (CIA), it states that the impact
and risk identification process will take into account the findings and conclusions of related and
applicable plans, studies, or assessments prepared by relevant government authorities or other
parties that are directly related to the project and its area of influence including master
economic development plans, country or regional plans, feasibility studies, alternatives
analyses, and cumulative, regional, sectoral, or strategic environmental assessments where
relevant. Furthermore, it goes on stating that the client can take these into account by focusing
on the projects incremental contribution to selected impacts generally recognized as important
on the basis of scientific concern or concerns from the Affected Communities within the area
addressed by these larger scope regional studies or cumulative assessments
Defined in PS1 (2012) as the strategy to first anticipate and avoid impacts and risk over workers, the environment and/or Affected
Communities, or where avoidance is not possible impacts and risks must be minimized. Acceptable options to minimize will vary and
include: abate, rectify, repair, and/or restore. Finally, where residual impacts remain, these must be compensated/offset.

Similarly, PS Guidance Note 1 states that in situations where multiple projects occur in, or are
planned for, the same geographic area... it may also be appropriate for the client to conduct a
CIA as part of the risks and impacts identification process. However, it recommends that this
assessment should (a) be commensurate with the incremental contribution, source, extent, and
severity of the cumulative impacts anticipated, and (b) determine if the project is incrementally
responsible for adversely affecting an ecosystem component or specific characteristic beyond
an acceptable predetermined threshold (carrying capacity) by the relevant government entity, in
consultation with other relevant stakeholders.
Therefore, although the total cumulative impacts due to multiple projects should be typically
identified in government sponsored assessments and regional planning efforts, per PS1 IFC
clients are expected to ensure that their own assessment determines the degree to which the
project under review is contributing to the cumulative effects. This proposed Good Practice
notes the importance of differentiating between those actions over which a private sector
sponsor has direct control vis--vis those that it may be able to influence to achieve optimal
cumulative impact management as part of a multi-stakeholder effort that should typically be led
by government agencies. Figure 1, illustrates the overall context and proposed approach that
exemplifies what would constitute general compliance with IFC PS1.
Figure 1: PS1 CIA Recommended Approach
BEST EFFORTS
COMPLIANCE
This Good Practice Note is based on IFCs experience in applying the Performance Standards
and is non-prescriptive in its approach. It should be used in conjunction with Performance

Standards, their respective Guidance Notes and World Bank Group Environmental, Health, and
Safety Guidelines, which contain basic requirements and good international practices to be
followed when designing, developing, and/or implementing projects. This document is not
intended to duplicate existing IFC environmental and social policy requirements.
1. WHAT IS CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT AND WHY IS IT

NEEDED?
1.1 WHAT ARE CUMULATIVE IMPACTS?
Cumulative impacts are those that result from the incremental impact of a project when added to
other existing, planned, and/or reasonably predictable future projects and developments.
Cumulative impacts are limited to those impacts generally recognized as important on the basis
of scientific concerns and/or concerns from Affected Communities 3.
Examples of cumulative impacts include:
effects on ambient conditions such as incremental contribution of pollutant emissions in

an airshed,
increase in pollutant concentrations in a water body, in the soil or sediments, or their
bioaccumulation,
reduction of water flow in a watershed due to multiple withdrawals,
increases in sediment loads to a watershed or increased erosion,
interference with migratory routes or wildlife movement,
increased pressure on the carrying capacity or the survival of indicator species in a given
ecosystem,
wildlife population reduction due to increased hunting, road kills, and forestry operations,
depletion of a forest as a result of multiple logging concessions,
secondary or induced social impacts, such as in-migration, or more traffic congestion
and accidents along community roadways due to increases in transport activity in a
project area of influence. 4
Multiple environmental and social impacts from existing projects, combined with the potential
incremental impacts resulting from proposed and/or anticipated future projects may result in
significant cumulative impacts that would not be expected in the case of a stand-alone project or
business activity. 5
Affected Communities are defined as local communities directly affected by the project (PS 1, Paragraph 1, 2012).
Direct quote from GN1, para 38
5
Direct quote from GN1, para 37.
4

Box 1. Demise of the Aral Sea

The Aral Sea Basin, surrounded by desert, is shared by eastern Kazakhstan
and eastern Uzbekistan. It is fed primarily by the Amu Darya and Syr Darya
rivers. The Aral Sea was the worlds fourth largest freshwater lake covering
68,300 km2 with a volume of 1006 km3. In the late 1950s the lake was
teeming with life. It supported fishing ports and thriving commercial fishery
with an annual catch of 46,000 tonnes in the early 1960s. In the 1960s,
water began to be diverted from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers for
hydropower and through irrigation systems for growing cotton. With
continued expansion of the irrigation systems over time, approximately 7
million ha of agricultural land now depends on irrigation. By the 1980s, the
water from the Syr Darya and Amy Darya was completely utilized with little
flow reaching the Aral Sea Basin 6.
The cumulative impacts have aggregated over the past 30 years. By 1986,
the Aral Sea had split into two water bodies, the so called Southern Aral
Sea and Northern Aral Sea and by 2002, the level of Southern Aral Sea
had fallen by 22 m. By 2005, the Aral Sea had shrunk to half of its former
size and its volume diminished by 75%. Kazakhstan has built a dam
between the northern and southern parts of the Aral Sea. Completed in
2005, the dam was basically a death sentence for the southern Aral Sea,
which was judged to be beyond saving. All of the inflow from the Syr Darya
now stays in the Northern Aral Sea. Today, the Southern Aral Sea
continues to shrink. The shallow eastern basin all but disappeared in 2009
after four years of drought reduced and eventually stopped any Amu Darya
inflow. In 2010, the drought ended and water entered the eastern basin
once again. But in 2011, less water entered the basin. Water levels in 2011
were lower than any previous year except 2009 7.
Source:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/
WorldOfChange/aral_sea.php
The magnitude of the cumulative socio-economic impacts is almost unprecedented. The retreat of the Aral Sea shoreline decimated
former ports and fishing communities. The once abundant fishery has virtually ceased to exist. The increasingly saline water of the
rivers has become polluted with fertilizer and pesticides. The blowing dust from the exposed seabed, contaminated with agricultural
chemicals, is a public health hazard as it settles onto fields, degrading the soil 8. Much of the former Aral Sea Basin has now become
desert. Rusted hulks of boats and ships lie abandoned in the desert as a poignant reminder of this once great aquatic ecosystem.
One can argue that the demise of Aral is a trade-off against the socio-economic benefits of irrigated agriculture. Unfortunately,
unsustainable land and water management practices combined with poor maintenance of irrigation infrastructure, has led to severe
land degradation. Vast stretches of irrigated land in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins are now salinized or waterlogged as are
many other areas in Central Asia. Estimates are that more than half of the irrigated land in Central Asia is salinized or waterlogged 9
Asian Development Bank, 2010. Central Asia Atlas of Natural Resources. pp.82-84. Asian Development Bank, Manila, Philippines
Our Amazing Planet. http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/1805-aral-sea-continues-to-shrink.html
NASA Earth Observatory. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/aral_sea.php
9
Asian Development Bank, 2010. Central Asia Atlas of Natural Resources. pp.154-156. Asian Development Bank, Manila,
Philippines.
7
8

Box 2. Valued Environmental and Social Components (VECs)*

Cumulative Impact Assessments and Management are complex and cost time and money. For a CIA to be effective in supporting
good overall environmental and social risk management, the scope of the CIA must be properly defined. Since it is unrealistic to
think that every environmental and social aspect that can be subjected to cumulative impact can be appropriately factored into a
CIA, it is good practice to focus the assessment and management strategies over Valued Environmental and Social Components
(VECs).
What are VECs?
VECs are environmental and social attributes that are considered to be important in assessing risk; they may be:
physical features,
habitats,
wildlife populations,
environmental processes,
ecosystem conditions (e.g. biodiversity),
social conditions (e.g. health, economics), or
cultural aspects.
While VECs may be directly affected by a project, they are often also found at the end of ecological pathways that transfer direct
(primary) impacts to higher order impacts on VECs. Throughout this Good Practice Note we use the acronym VECs to refer to
sensitive or valued receptors which desired future condition determines the assessment endpoints to be used in the CIA process.
The identification of assessment endpoints is a critical step in any risk assessment. To guide subsequent analysis identification of
endpoints needs to be initiated during the scoping phase (Section 2 Steps 1 and 2). This is done through social and ecological
scoping. Social scoping through consultation with Affected Communities/stakeholders is used to establish the terms in which
cumulative impacts should be expressed (i.e. which environmental attributes or components of the environment will be the subject of
CIA). Ecological scoping is used to identify how impacts can be studied and predicted. VECs should reflect public concern for
social, cultural, economic or aesthetic values, and also the scientific concerns of the professional community (Beanlands and
Duinker, 1983).
How do VECs impact the CIA process?
CIA is inherently future-oriented and the concern for assessment of cumulative impacts is driven by the need to understand the
condition of VECs that is expected to result from the combination of development impacts and natural forces that will affect them.
For instance, to what extent will terrestrial habitat be fragmented beyond its ecological functionality vis--vis the cumulative impacts
from multiple linear infrastructure developments?
Good CIA focuses on understanding whether cumulative impacts will affect the sustainability of a VEC as indicated by the predicted
condition of the VEC. Consequently the significance of cumulative impacts is judged in the context of thresholds (limits of acceptable
change), within which VEC condition is considered to be acceptable but beyond which further change in VEC condition is not
acceptable. If such thresholds are not established, the significance of cumulative impacts cannot be determined.
Defining thresholds for VECs
The sustainability of VECs, whether ecological, biological or related to human communities, is their capacity to endure for the
ecosystem/community to remain diverse and productive over time. This is reflected in the definition of sustainable use given in the
Convention on Biological Diversity as using the "components of biological diversity in a way and at a rate that does not lead to the
long term decline of biological diversity, thereby maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations."
The sustainability of VECs depends upon both the forces that affect them and their social-ecological vulnerability (sensitivity), the
degree to which they are susceptible to, and unable to cope with injury, damage, or harm.
Defining thresholds of acceptable VEC condition involves social and ecological scoping informed by scientific understanding. In
setting them, one considers thresholds, points at which there is an abrupt change in a VEC condition, where small changes in a
given environmental or social driver produce large responses in the VEC condition (after Groffman et al. 2006). Ecological
thresholds for physical VECs such as air, water, and soil quality are often readily available in either government established ambient
quality standards or on international scientific literature. See Appendix 1 for examples of indicators of cumulative impacts that are
required to be addressed by IFC Performance Standards.
*Acronym coined by Beanlands and Duinker (1983) to refer to valued ecosystem components.

1.2 WHAT IS CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT?

CIA is the process of analyzing the potential impacts and risks of proposed developments in the
context of potential effects of other human activities and natural environmental drivers on the
chosen VECs over time, and proposing concrete measures to avoid, reduce, or mitigate such
cumulative impacts and risk to the extent possible.
The key analytical task is to discern how the potential impacts of a proposed development might
combine, cumulatively, with the potential impacts of the other human activities and other natural
stressors such as droughts or extreme climatic events. VECs are immersed in a natural everchanging environment that impacts their condition and resilience. For example, periodic
extremes of precipitation (droughts or floods), temperature (extreme cold or heat), or
fluctuations in predators, all impact the condition of biological VECs. Today and into the future,
global warming (climate change) can be expected to have substantial impacts on VECs
condition.
Other human activities of greatest importance in CIA are those that (a) will occur in the future,
or, if already existing, have ongoing influences on the environment in the future, and (b) are
expected to interact with the same VECs in the future as does the development under
assessment. CIA represents an analytical complication in ESIA because the spatial horizon of
impact assessment is usually expanded, compared to normal project ESIA, and the
interactions between human activities and VECs increase in number and complexity.
The objectives for CIA are to:
Ensure that the proposed developments cumulative social and environmental impacts and
risks will not exceed a threshold that could compromise the sustaines
10

when a series of mining developments occur within an area where they will impact the same
VECs (perhaps common water bodies or water courses, wildlife populations, community
health, community loss of access to assets, or multiple land take);
when a series of hydroelectric developments occur within the same river or within the same
watershed with cumulative impacts in common on flora and fauna, on downstream water
availability or quality, on watershed sediment dynamics, on navigation, on local communities
livelihoods, on adjacent land uses due to increased access from associated roads; or
a series of agricultural developments occur that will cumulatively impact land use patterns,
have cumulative impacts on downstream water availability (from withdrawal of water for
irrigation), on downstream water quality or on local community livelihoods.
Good CIA practice, however, is not limited only to assessing the impacts of developments of the
same type. For example, the development of a mine in association with increased access from
road construction that will bring further induced development (perhaps in association with
developments in adjacent forest management, hydroelectric power developments, agriculture or
other activities all of which may impact local communities, wildlife, or water availability and
quality) is also cause for CIA.
In some cases it may be that CIA is needed to assess and manage the impacts of several new
projects that are being developed and or planned. In other situations, CIA of a single new
project may be appropriate when the project occurs in an area where there are existing
concerns regarding cumulative impacts that are either well documented or are identified through
consultation with Affected Communities. Also, in some situations different components of the
same project are assessed in separate ESIAs and the cumulative impacts from these
components should be subjected to CIA. The key point in determining the need for CIA is that
one or more VECs will be cumulatively impacted by different developments, whatever they may
be.
It must be highlighted, however, that accumulated impacts may be identified and acknowledged
in a standard ESIA process, and the proposed management measures of the incremental
contribution of a given project can be covered by the projects ESMS. This is often the case
when dealing with well studied air-sheds or watersheds, or with widely recognized global issues
such as climate change. For instance, methods to assess the incremental contribution to
airshed degradation from exhaust emission of a new thermoelectric generation plant are well
established by the scientific community, and are typically an integral component of a good ESIA
process. Similarly the determination and management of its GHG emission and climate impacts
are well recognized practices. Neither of these cases would require separate CIA process and
the inclusion of standard pollution prevention and control measures as an integral component of
ESMS would typically suffice.
1.4 WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF CIA?

The expected outcomes of a good CIA will be further detailed in section 2.0, but generally
speaking these are:
Identification of all VECs that may be potentially affected by the development;
11

Assessment/estimation of the future condition of affected VECs, as the result of the

cumulative impact of the project with other reasonably predictable projects and natural
environmental drivers;
Evaluation of the future condition of the VECs relative to threshold(s) of VEC condition;
Avoidance and minimization of the developments impact on the VECs for the life of the
development;
Monitoring and management of the risks to the project over its life-span from VECs
reaching their limits 10; and
Provision of project-related monitoring data to governments and other stakeholders for
the life of the development; and material support for development of collaborative
regional monitoring and resource management initiatives.
Because cumulative impacts typically result from the combined impacts of multiple
developments, responsibility for their prevention and management is shared among the various
developments that contribute to them. In this regard it is usually beyond the capability of any
one party to implement all of the measures needed to reduce or eliminate cumulative impacts,
and therefore collaborative efforts will likely be needed. Governments can play a significant role
in ensuring environmental and social sustainability within their jurisdiction by providing enabling
regulatory frameworks that guide and support the appropriate identification and management of
cumulative impacts and risks.
Over the years, The World Bank has developed extensive documents and guidance tools for
governments to design and implement country-wide or sector-wide strategic approaches to
environmental and social management, described and defined in Operational Policy 4.01 11 (see
Annex A for definitions) 12 and other publications on strategic environmental management 13 and
Box 3. Hydro Cascade with no governmental requirement for CIA
In one case, thirty-seven hydroelectric projects (2 existing projects, 9 under construction and 26 proposed projects) would occur
within a single river basin where the host country had no regulatory requirement for CIA. IFC supported two clients who were
involved with several projects -- some in close proximity and others located in another part of the basin. Despite the lack of a
regulatory requirement for CIA, IFC worked with the proponents to develop a collaborative CIA and coordinated impact monitoring
program, which was implemented through a steering committee composed of companies and government agencies. The CIA was
not limited to considering the specific projects of the two proponents but set the spatial context for the CIA as the entire river basin.
The CIA found that without management there would likely be significant cumulative impacts on the water flow regime, water
quality, and the aquatic environment.
In addition, IFC collaborated with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) to raise the awareness
of the host country to the issue of cumulative impacts. A workshop was organized at which the intensity of development and
results of the CIA were discussed government representatives and consensus developed that: development of a formal CIA
requirement was imperative; that there was a clear need for basin management planning; and that there was still time for effective
CIA. In addition it was proposed that when multiple small-scale hydro projects were being planned (which would not individually
trigger an ESIA requirement) CIA for the overall set of projects would be an appropriate alternative to project specific EA.
10
interactions with government and third parties should be included in risk management actions.
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTFORESTS/Resources/OP401.pdf;
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/CSO/0,,contentMDK:20064724~pagePK:220503~piPK:220476~theSitePK:
228717~isCURL:Y~isCURL:Y~isCURL:Y~isCURL:Y~isCURL:Y,00.html
12
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/CSO/0,,contentMDK:20066691~pagePK:220503~piPK:220476~theSitePK
:228717~isCURL:Y~isCURL:Y~isCURL:Y,00.html
13
Strategic
Environmental
Assessment
in
Policy
and
Sector
Reform
(2011)
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/ENVIRONMENT/Resources/244380-1236266590146/Policy_SEA_WB.pdf:
Strategic
Environmental
Assessment
for
Policies:
An
Instrument
for
Good
Governance
(2008)
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTRANETENVIRONMENT/1705772-1210788188539/21819527/SEA_FOR_POLICIES.pdf;
11
12

poverty and social impact analysis 14, which are invaluable sources of information and good
practice for setting appropriate and enabling regulatory environments.
1.5 HOW DOES CIA COMPARE TO OTHER E&S RISK MANAGEMENT TOOLS?
Cumulative impact assessment and management is one of several tools to consider as part of
an overall environmental and social risk assessment and management process. These tools
have been developed to inform the decision-making processes in different project development
and/or sector planning contexts, and include:
Environmental and Social
Impacts Assessment (ESIA)
Strategic Environmental
15
Assessment (SEA)
Regional Environmental
Assessment (REA) or
Sectoral EA.
Cumulative Impact
Assessment and
Management (CIA)
Applies to the potential impacts of a particular development

proposal.
Done in the context of a well-defined development proposal
for which the construction and operational details of the
development alternatives are known.
It may include an assessment of the projects contribution
to a well known accumulated impact and propose standard
mitigation measures (e.g. GHG emissions, airshed
pollution, depletion of wild fish-stock).
Relates to potential impacts of government or sector wide
policies, plans, or programs.
Instruments such as policies are not specifically tied to a
particular physical development, they may result in a variety
of impacts at different times and places -- the challenge of
SEA lies in anticipating how this may occur.
Used to assess the impacts of the potential developmental
future of a geographic region or of an overall sector or
industry (sometimes referred to as Regional or Sectoral
Strategic Environmental Assessment).
Used for assessing the full ecological and social impacts
that determine the status of environmental components and
affected communities (VECs)
Requires consideration of past, present, and future projects
and natural drivers that affect them.
Assessment is done in a broader geographical and
temporal context than in ESIA.
Unlike government agencies, a private sector developer or project sponsor has no control over
the actions undertaken by other project developers affecting similar VECs and therefore it is
unlikely to have much leverage to influence any mitigation acctions from third parties. However,
when faced with cumulative impacts and risks, private sector developers or project sponsor may
engaged in a simpler Rapid Cumulative Impact Assessment (RCIA) process (see Appendix 3 for
an annotated RCIA Terms of Reference) instead of a full CIA. RCIA follows the same logical
and analytical framework as a CIA, but the analysis is based on a desk review of readily
available information and previous environmental and social assessments. Very focused new
VEC baseline data may be needed and additional new stakeholder engagement may also be
necesary.
14
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPSIA/0,,contentMDK:21717714~menuPK:6145452~pagePK:148956~pi
PK:216618~theSitePK:490130~isCURL:Y~isCURL:Y~isCURL:Y~isCURL:Y,00.html
15
See foot note 11 and 12 ref World Bank OP 4.01
13

1.5.1 Comparing ESIAs and CIAs

ESIAs 16 and CIAs share the same basic logical
Figure 2. ESIA: Project-centered perspective
framework and analytical process and tools (See
Appendix 2 for a Basic Logic Framework for a CIA);
however, different perspectives are taken in ESIA and
CIA. They can be characterized as being projectcentered or centered on the condition of valued
environmental or social components (VEC 17-centered)
respectively. As illustrated in Figure 2, in an ESIA the
focus of analysis begins with the project. The area
where the project will have environmental and social impacts is identified together with
identification of the VECs that would be impacted. The impacts on the VECs are identified and a
Mitigation Hierarchy 18 is applied to avoid impacts when possible, and if not possible, to minimize
and mitigate impacts. Furthermore, where residual impacts remain, impacts and risks to
workers, Affected Communities and the
environment are compensated or offset.
Figure 3. CIA: VEC-centered perspective
CIA also begins with a project centered view to

identify the environmental and social
components that may be impacted by the
project. However, as illustrated in Figure 3,
the focus then shifts to the VECs. The area
considered is the area over which the VECs
occur, which is where other stresses (projects,
developments, human activities not subject to
ESIA and natural environmental drivers) may
also impact them. Once the other impacts
have been identified, the cumulative impacts are assessed as the resulting change in the
condition of the VECs.
A cumulative impact includes two components:
a future baseline impact that is the total impact of

the other existing and predictable future projects and
developments, and
the project impact the project contribution to the
cumulative impact.
Figure 4. CIA Components (After Farris

2008)
In the CIA context, the incremental impact of a project

under review is the difference between the condition of
the VEC when impacted only by the other projects and
developments in the future baseline and the condition of
the VEC when impacted by both the project and the
16
For further details on ESIA and good practices related to the resulting Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS)
please refer to Performance Standard 1 (PS1) and Guidance Note 1 (GN1) as well as PSs 2-8 and their corresponding GNs.
17
See Box 2 for VECs definition
18
Please refer to IFC PS1.
14

future baseline impacts (Figure 4). In the context of ESIA and CIA a projects incremental
impacts are the same but are viewed differently and the views taken in ESIA and CIA can give
very different assessments of the need for impact management.
Box 4. Contrasting Views of the Need for Impact Management
The ESIA for a metals refining operation in an emerging market country concluded simply that because the concentration of heavy
metals in the discharge to a river would be lower than the countrys discharge standard that the project should proceed as designed.
No additional mitigation was identified. However, the river was already badly degraded; the ambient concentrations of heavy metals
already exceeded the ambient water quality standards, human health was being compromised and officials in the city downstream
were struggling to find ways to improve water quality. In this later context, either project relocation or additional mitigation to reduce
discharge of heavy metals to the maximum extent possible would be appropriate together with other mitigations to reduce the
loadings from existing sources
The different views taken in ESIA and CIA can be seen in how indicators are used to
characterize an impact. In the case of ESIA, indicators may be chosen to reflect the
incremental change in a VEC, while in CIA indicators are chosen to reflect the resulting
condition of the VEC. Appendix 1 lists comparisons of indicators that reflect an incremental
project impact (change in the VEC), with indicators that reflect the condition of the VEC. As it
will be noted in the following sections, during the CIA Scoping Stages (Section 2 Steps 1 and
2) the choice of VECs and their indicators is critical to the success of the assessment.
Box 5. CIA When Different Project Components Are Subject to Separate ESIAs
For the development of a large mining project, under host country regulatory requirements the proponent was required to submit
separate ESIAs for the various project components: the mine site, the transmission line that will provide power to the site, and the
road that was upgraded and extended to the site. The ESIAs were not only submitted separately but also submitted in different
years and did not address cumulative impacts.
At a later date and in order to meet the requirements of the Equator Principles and IFC Performance Standards, the proponent was
required to complete a CIA of the projects components with other projects and activities in the area. This included updating baseline
data and filling baseline data gaps.
The scope of the CIA was defined by: the value/significance of the potential cumulative effect to stakeholders (based on the
valuation of the environmental and social elements that are relevant to the stakeholders); the potential significance of cumulative
impacts to biological receptors and/or habitats; and the temporal and physical boundaries for potential cumulative effects for those
elements.
Cumulative impacts were deemed to occur when the effects of project components, other projects, and / or other land use activities
(i.e. not just other mining projects) overlap with each other by impacting the same VECs. For example, project components will
eliminate important wildlife habitat which will likely diminish the carrying capacity for key species. Together these project impacts will
have a cumulative impact on the status of the species, even though the impacts are of different types and result from very different
activities.
The different views described above are not always necessary, and as noted before, cumulative
impact analyses and management can be fully integrated throughout a good ESIA process. This
approach has been advocated by many practitioners (see Duinker 1994 or Duinker and Greig
2006).
2. WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR IMPLEMENTING CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

AND MANAGEMENT?
Assessment of accumulated impacts may employ information from a variety of instruments
including regional environmental studies and programs; strategic, sectoral and regional
environmental assessments; project environmental assessments; cumulative impact
assessments from similar situations; and targeted studies on specific issues.
15

The following six-step process and the appendices that follow lead users of this Good Practice
Note from the scoping phase through to the management phase, providing key questions to
consider along the way.
Keep in mind that the process for CIA must be flexible; the steps may not proceed in sequence
and may need to be implemented iteratively with some steps revisited in response to the
results of others. For example, in the issue identification (scoping) step of CIA, consideration of
potential effects is often repeated with the findings and analysis refined each time, until a final
short list of issues is produced 19.
STEP 1: SCOPING PHASE I VECS, SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL BOUNDARIES

Objectives:
Identify and agree on VEC consulting with all relevant stakeholders.

Include past, present, and foreseeable future activities.
Establish the geographic scope of analysis.
Focus on meaningful impacts/ effects.
Questions to answer:
Who needs to be involved?
Which are the resources, ecosystems, or human activities affected (i.e.
VECs)?
Which of these effects may be important from a cumulative impact
assessment perspective?
This step is critical to successful CIA as it establishes the scope of the analysis of cumulative
impacts. Critical to the success of scoping is that it appropriately characterizes the context for
the analysis (i.e. context scoping as identified by Baxter et al, 2001). If not already done
identification of who should be involved will be done early in this step and updated as needed as
the overall process proceeds. As it will described in Section 3 this is one of the major challenges
associated with a CIA process. For a description of an ideal arrangement of stakeholders roles
and responsibilities please refer to Table 1.
The output of scoping includes identification of the VECs whose cumulative impacts will be
assessed and managed, and the spatial and temporal boundaries for the assessment.
Information to consider in establishing the scope of CIA includes:
VECs known or suspected to be impacted by the project (based on prior sectoral

assessments or by the projects own ESIA),
Known cumulative impact issues within the region,
Concerns for cumulative impacts identified in consultation with potentially Affected
Communities (these may exist at distance from the planned development),
Regional assessments prepared by governments or multi-lateral development banks
(MDBs),
CIAs prepared by other developments in the region, and
Information from non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Appendix 1 provides a non-exhaustive illustrative list of potential VECs identified for each IFC
Performance Standards 1 through 8.
19
At the start of issue identification all potential effects are identified, but by the end the list of issues will have been reduced to a
short list of key issues to examine in detail in the CIA.
16

Boundaries for the analysis need to encompass the geographic and temporal extent of impacts
(from other past, present, and predictable future projects and developments) that influence VEC
condition throughout the time period that project impacts will occur. This scope is likely to
extend beyond a projects DAI as typically defined in ESIA.
Box 6. Rules of Thumb - How to Set Geographical and Temporal Boundaries
20
The suggested rules of thumb to determine the geographic boundaries for the analysis are:
a. Include the area that will be directly affected by the project or activity (DAI - in the traditional ESIA sense),
b. List the important resources (VECs) within the DAI,
c. Define if these VECs occupy a wider area beyond the DAI, and
d. Consider the distance an effect can travel.
The proposed basic rules of thumb to determine the temporal boundaries for the assessment are:
a. Define the expected timeframe of the potential effect of proposed action.
b. Balance between overestimate/underestimate.
c. Exclude futures action if (i) outside geographical boundary, (ii) does not affect VEC, or (iii) its inclusion seems arbitrary.
Boundaries are expanded to the point at which the VEC is no longer affected significantly or the
effects are no longer of scientific concern or of interest to the Affected Communities. VECs for
which the project will have no direct or indirect impact do not need to be the subject of CIA.
Priority should be given to those VECs that are likely to be at the greatest risk from the projects
contribution to cumulative impacts.
Box 7. Establishing the Spatial Boundary for CIA
To assess the impacts of a regional oil pipeline development in a northern environment, the study area for the ESIA was defined as
several kilometers on either side of the pipeline along its route. The CIA for the project adopted the same study area. While it was
well known that the pipeline would likely induce future development of additional oil fields along the pipeline route, such
developments would occur outside the defined study area and thus were not included as reasonably predictable future projects for
inclusion in the CIA analysis. Few other existing or likely future projects were identified within the study area and impacts on the
wide ranging northern caribou herds whose range included the project study area were concluded to be insignificant in both the
ESIA and CIA analyses.
Understanding that CIA analysis should be done in the context of the VEC (caribou) range, the regulator on review of the
proponents ESIA and CIA required the proponent to redo the CIA analysis to include the potential impacts of the likely future oil
development along the pipeline route. These likely developments fell largely within the range of the caribou herds and would have
potential impacts both within the oil fields themselves as well as along the routes of connector pipelines that would link to the
regional pipeline. This analysis, done in the appropriate context for analysis of cumulative impacts on the caribou herds, concluded
that the cumulative impact of the likely future developments with those of the enabling regional pipeline would result in a cumulative
impact that would require a regional cumulative impact management strategy. While this would not prevent approval of the regional
pipeline, it clearly created the opportunity for the development of a multi-party cumulative impact management program to prevent
significant impacts from the future developments before they arose.
Through evaluation of the regional cumulative impact context the scoping stage of CIA should
not only establish the dimensions of the cumulative impact study (VECs of concern, spatial and
temporal assessment scales) but also assess how well cumulative impacts have already been
identified and analyzed.
If the condition and trends of VECs are already known and the incremental contribution of the
project to cumulative impacts can be quickly established, then the emphasis for CIA should be
placed on cumulative impact management rather than impact assessment.
20
After CEQ. 1997
17

STEP 2: SCOPING PHASE II OTHER ACTIVITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS

Objectives:
Identify other past, existing, or planned activities within the analytical
boundaries.
Assess potential presence of natural influences/ stressors. (e.g. droughts,
extreme climatic events).
Are there any other existing or planned activities affecting the same VEC?
Are there any natural forces / phenomena affecting the same VECs?
The purpose of this step is to identify the totality of stresses that determine the condition of
VECs selected for CIA. Estimation of the magnitude of impacts will likely occur in step 4. What
is important in Step 2 is identification of the sources of stress on VECs which will include past
developments whose impacts persist, existing developments, predictable future developments,
as well as any other relevant natural environmental drivers (e.g. wildfires, droughts/floods,
predator interactions, etc). In making this determination the key question is simply what
environmental and social factors may influence the condition of the VEC. In most cases this
should be known.
An important part of this step is determining an appropriate strategy for identification of stresses
that result from activities other than the proposed project. Detailed identification of other projects
/ activities that are likely to have significant impacts and which can play an important role in
management of cumulative impacts is appropriate. However, in environments impacted by a
large number of small developments, creating an inventory of all sources may not be the best
approach and some form of statistically stratified estimation may be appropriate. In this regard it
may be helpful to classify different developments according to common characteristics of their
impacts. The amount of detail required is determined by what is needed for credible estimation
of the types and intensity of impacts that influence the condition of the selected VECs.
Box 8. Cumulative Impacts of Climate and Hydropower

The ESIA for a hydropower development that would provide peaking power predicted no significant impacts on lakes immediately
downstream of the development. The ESIA analysis was based on the recent mid-term flows in the river system.
A separate cumulative impact assessment properly took into account the contribution of the natural driving force of longer-term
climatic variation in water availability reflected in the long term records. Modelling analysis of lake levels in the region, based on the
long-term precipitation patterns showed that there could be a sharp decline in water levels during extended periods of drought that
historically had occasionally lasted for periods of 10 20 years. The project effects at such times would significantly worsen an
already difficult situation for some of the Affected Communities, as during such extended droughts the shorelines of downstream
lakes receded considerable distances. While only a fraction of the drop in lake level would be attributable to the project impact this
additional impact was considered unacceptable.
The analysis highlighted the need for mitigation measures that could manage the lake levels during such periods, providing a net
benefit to the downstream communities and their fisheries during extended droughts. Had the CIA not properly taken into account
the natural driving impact of climate cycles on the hydrological regime, the company might at some time have been held
accountable for the unacceptable impacts.
18

In addition to other human activities natural drivers that exert an influence on VEC condition
should be identified and characterized. Natural environmental processes, for example drought
or flooding, have significant impacts on a variety of environmental and social components.
Project impacts that discharge pollutants to lakes or rivers, or that withdraw water for industrial
or agricultural purposes are likely to have more significant impacts during periods of drought.
The fire regime in forested areas is a major driver that shapes social, ecological, and economic
systems. For the purposes of CIA, identification of such processes is not a question of new
research, but is based on existing knowledge of the ecology of the selected VECs.
Existing guidance for identifying reasonably predictable projects recommends reference to
local, regional or national development plans and generally recommends a short time horizon
be considered (e.g. European Union - 3 to 4 years) due to uncertainty about longer term
developments. Where development plans are not available guidance recommends emphasis be
given to identifying other projects that are known to be in the planning stage or for which formal
development approval is being sought (e.g. through preparation of ESIA documents or permit
submissions). This short term view does not provide certainty regarding which developments
will actually occur. Some developments in the planning stage at the time of CIA scoping will not
proceed while others that are not immediately apparent at this time will be developed and go
ahead. Proponents clearly cannot know for certain what specific developments will occur but in
some circumstances where rapid development is occurring a general pattern of development
may be able to be foreseen.
Box 9. Strategic Approach to Assessing Multiple Small Developments
(Scoping)
CIA may be relevant and considered appropriate even if a project is expected to have only a small impact, whenever the project will
contribute to cumulative effects from already existing projects, or a large number of other reasonably predictable projects.
A regional CIA approach was taken to assess cumulative impacts for a region that is the traditional territory of numerous aboriginal
groups and which is characterized by extensive unconsolidated sands with dune complexes, open grass lands, patches of trees and
shrubs with several game species including species that are rare, threatened or endangered; and numerous areas of historical
spiritual significance. The dominant activities within the region included: a high density of existing gas wells (approximately 70 % of
the area was leased for exploration); and widespread livestock grazing. The development of a significant number of additional gas
wells was highly likely and rather than approach CIA with a well-by-well approach a regional CIA was undertaken.
The CIA was done in three phases: baseline assessment; impacts and trends identification; scenario analysis and
recommendations. Aggregation of impacts by livestock grazing and gas well development was facilitated by treating both as surface
disturbance and the underlying objectives of the baseline assessment (Step 3 in this GPN) were to identify activities that have the
greatest potential for surface disturbance impacts on ecological integrity and sustainability, and to identify key issues and concerns
with biological, economic and social VECs.
Whenever there is potential for a large number of similar developments a regional analysis should be considered. This is not,
however, the responsibility of an individual proponent. This strategy, if pursued, will require engagement of other proponents and
government agencies to develop a coordinated / pooled analysis.
In addition to other projects that are known to be under development or identified in planning
documents good practice also considers future developments that are likely to be induced by a
project under consideration. If past experience has shown that projects of the same type as the
one being assessed cause further associated development to occur, then such developments
are reasonably predictable. Since such developments are not identified based on specific
development plans, scenario analysis may be an appropriate approach for examining the
potential cumulative impacts that could be associated with induced development.
19

STEP 3: ESTABLISH INFORMATION ON BASELINE STATUS OF VECS.

Objectives:
Define existing condition of VEC.
Understand its potential reaction to stress - resilience / recovery time.
Assess trends.
What is the existing condition of the VEC?
What are the indicators used to asses such condition?
What additional data is needed?
Who may already have this information?
Baseline (historical) information on the condition of VECs establishes the big picture context
for thinking about changes in VEC condition, can help to avoid the pitfalls associated with
shifting baselines (Pauly 1995) and can be used in a variety of ways.
The determination of the trend of change in the baseline condition of a given VEC over time
may indicate the level of concern for cumulative impacts. If there is a long or steep history of
decline in VEC condition it may be inferred that there is an increased likelihood that a threshold
is being approached. It is often the case that threshold levels (tipping points), at which a VECs
response to additional impacts changes abruptly, are not known with any degree of certainty. A
simple analysis of the overall change in condition relative to a baseline can at least provide
some indication of the amount of change that has already occurred, however this must be
approached with caution if the baseline condition is recent and thus possibly representative of
an already shifted baseline.
If sufficient information is available to establish the natural range of variation in a given VEC
condition, it can be used for comparison with the estimated future state developed in step 4 and
when assessing significance in step 5. When compared with information about the past time
trend in development pressures (part of analysis in step 4) it may also provide some insight into
VEC sensitivity to stresses. Good indicators of condition are important and historical trend
analysis should be approached with some caution as some indicators of VEC condition can be
hyper-stable, essentially hiding impact responses. Consistent use of indicators is important
(Brub 2007).
Estimating the past condition of a VEC is often a challenging task requiring collection of
historical information about the VEC which can be difficult to obtain. Various sources of
information can be explored reports from governments, NGOs, MDBs, prior ESIAs, knowledge
from resident communities, information from controls areas with VECs in common that are
exposed to differing levels of impact (assessed relative to the impact history developed in step
2). Hydro-Qubec found that in most cases their best state of reference was determined as the
time when information became available and when the condition of the VEC could be
considered more or less stable, which in their first 12 CEAs ranged from 10 to 20 years (Brub
2007).
In cases where there is no data available from third parties about existing or planned
developments, the developer may promote benefits of CIA with third parties and encourage
20

them to provide information on existing developments and their future plans; obtain whatever
data government authorities have regarding existing and planned developments; in the absence
of specific information about projects and their impacts use generic information about the other
projects, their inputs and emissions for typical developments of similar size.
Scenario analysis should be considered for assessment of other predictable future
developments that are not already in the planning stage. This is especially relevant to
predictable types of future developments that are likely to be induced by the project in question.
Each scenario must be possible. The objective of scenario analysis is not to predict a most
likely future but to help to assess the consequences of uncertainty so that the need for
cumulative impact management under different future conditions can be anticipated.
STEP 4: ASSESS CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ON VECS

Objectives:
Identify potential environmental and social impacts and risks.
Address expected impacts over the condition of the VEC (i.e. sustainability).
Identify any potential additive, countervalling, and/ or synergistic affects.
What are the key potential impacts and risks that could affect the long term
sustainability/ viability of the VEC?
Are there known/predictable cause-effect relationships?
Can these impacts/risks interact with each other?
Analysis of cumulative impacts on VECs involves estimating the future state of the VECs that
may result from the impacts they experience from various past, present, and predictable future
developments. The objective is to estimate the state of VECs as it results from the aggregated
stresses that affect them. In this context, in addition to the stresses imposed by developments,
the assessment should encompass the potential range of variation in environmental conditions
that influence VEC condition and not be based solely on expected average conditions.
In CIA, impacts are not measured in terms of the intensity of the stress added by projects but in
terms of the VEC response, its condition. The methods used for analysis will be specific to the
characteristics of the VEC (e.g. different methods are appropriate for analysis of impacts on
physical environmental, biotic, or social VECs, or their resilience). A wide spectrum of methods
have been used for CIA, including:
Conceptual modelling / pathways / network analysis (Bernard et al, 1993; Brismar.,

2004; Canter, 2008; Cooper, 2008; Perdicolis and Piper, 2008; Tricker, 2007);
Cost Benefit Analysis (Crookes and de Wit, 2009);
Decision Support Systems (King and Pushchak, 2008);
GIS analysis (Atkinson et al.,2008; Atkinson and Canter, 2011; Blaser et al., 2004; Dutta
et al., 2004; Great Sand Hills Scientific Advisory Committee, 2007; Houle et al., 2010;
Johnson et al., 2005; MacDonald, 2000; MacDonald et al., 2004; Quinn et al., 2004;
Scrimgeour et al., 2008; Seitz et al., 2011; Squires et al., 2010; Sorensen et al., 2008;
Strimbu and Innes, 2011; Tiner, 2005);
21

Habitat modelling (Cantor and Atkinson, 2008; Canter and Atkinson, 2011; Blaser et al.,
2004; Houle et al., 2010; Johnson et al., 2005; Strimbu and Innes, 2011);
Information compilation with simple checklists, or more complex layered or matrix
formats (Canter and Kamath, 1995; Canter and Torney, 2008; Cooper, 2011;
MacDonald, 2000);
Indicators and indices of VEC condition (Cantor and Atkinson, 2008; Dub, 2003;
Gonzales-Sanson and Aguilar, 2010; King and Pushchak, 2008; Mitchell and Parkins,
2011; Seitz et al., 2011; Squires et al., 2010);
Landscape modelling (Great Sand Hills Scientific Advisory Committee, 2007; MacDonald
et al., 2004; Quinn et al., 2004);
Population Viability Analysis (Jeffrey and Duinker, 2002; Johnson and Boyce, 2001);
Quantitative / simulation modelling including spatially explicit GIS-based models (CEQ,
1997; Dutta et al., 2004; Hegmann et al., 1999; Krzyzanowksi, 2011; MacDonald, 2000;
Van Damme et al, 2003, 2008; Weclaw and Hudson, 2004; Walters, 1986; Yang et al.,
2010);
Scenario Analysis (Blaser et al., 2004; CCME, 2009; Cavalcanti and la Rovere, 2011;
Crookes and de Wit, 2009; Duinker and Greig, 2007; Ehrlich, 2010; Great Sand Hills
Scientific Advisory Committee, 2007; Greig et al., 2004; Harriman and Noble, 2008;
Hegmann and Yarranton, 2011; Jeffrey and Duinker, 2002; Johnson et al., 2011;
Lindsay et al., 2002; Mitchell and Parkins, 2011; Noble, 2008; Quinn et al., 2004; Seitz et
al., 2011; Strimbu and Innes, 2011; Weclaw and Hudson, 2004);
Sustainability Appraisal (Cooper, 2010; Gibson, 2011);
Thresholds (Berube, 2007; Bonnell and Storey, 2000; Canter and Atkinson, 2010;
Damman, 2002; Deverman, 2003; Dub, 2003; Duinker and Greig, 2006; Groffman et
al., 2006; Gunn and Noble, 2009b; Hegmann and Yarranton, 2011; Kilgour et al., 2007;
Krzyzanowksi, 2011; Mitchell and Parkins, 2011; Noble, 2010; Piper, 2001; 2002; Quinn
et al., 2004; Schultz, 2010; Seitz et al., 2011; Spaling et al., 2000; Squires et al., 2010;
Therivel and Ross, 2007; Tricker, 2007; Weclaw and Hudson, 2004); and
Visual Amenity Analysis (Brereton et al., 2008).
Box 10. Strategic Approach to Assessing Multiple Small Developments
(Analysis)
The analysis for the regional CIA done for the multiple small gas developments referenced in Box 9 developed three alternative GISbased land use scenarios: Business as usual; Enhanced Development; and Conservation. Rather than focusing on a fixed
prediction about the most likely future impacts, emphasis was placed on developing a set of plausible accounts of cumulative
change under each scenario. This approach allowed decisions to be based not only on past trends, but also on potential future
trends, which may include a number of surprises.
Core biodiversity hot spots with a high priority for conservation where identified where under the conservation scenario regional
biodiversity would be maintained in these protected areas. This would be done by limiting the number of new gas wells. Production
would be maintained, however, through increased use of directional drilling near the biodiversity hot spots.
As discussed previously, CIA analysis is futures oriented. The impact of the project is not
assessed as the difference between the expected future condition of VECs and that of a past
baseline condition. It is assessed as the difference between the estimated future condition of
VECs in the context of the stress imposed by all other sources (projects and natural
22

environmental drivers - the future baseline) and the estimated VEC condition in the context of
the future baseline plus the project 21. Of concern is not just estimation of the project impact, but
the estimated future condition of VECs in the context of all stresses which is the cumulative
impact and can be evaluated in reference to an established threshold level of acceptable
condition if known, or in reference to a past baseline.
The estimate of the cumulative project impact, together with ESIA results, indicates the need for
project specific mitigation, whereas the estimated overall cumulative impact indicates the need
for mitigation to be implemented by the various project owners or proponent parties to assure
that their respective contributions to the overall condition of the VECs is coherent/compatible
with what is mandated or required by government led regional cumulative impact management
initiatives, or as a minimum compliant with ambient quality standards for the desired use.
A key part of the assessment step is estimation of the effectiveness of project mitigation and
other cumulative impact management measures to reduce impacts, and this is done iteratively
between Step 4 and Step 5.
Box 11. RCIA of Hydro Impacts on American Eel
The American Eel is a catadromous species which spawns in the Sargasso Sea and migrates to freshwater rivers and lakes for
growth and maturation. When mature it migrates downstream and returns to the Sargasso Sea. In a northern segment of its range
this large, long-lived species declined substantially following construction of hydropower dams and is now listed as endangered.
Human activities that impact the species include: harvesting by fisheries, hydropower developments (inhibition of upstream
migration, mortality during downstream migration), barriers to migration by other water control dams, habitat alteration, changes in
water quality and contaminants. Natural drivers that impact the species include: changes in the food web, parasites, and potential
changes in ocean currents associated with climate change. A published study indicated that of the various impacts, fisheries and
hydropower development likely had the greatest impact. As a consequence fisheries in the region were closed.
To develop a rapid estimate of the impact of the mortality caused by hydro developments during downstream migration a RCIA was
developed in the form of a quantitative spreadsheet model for one watershed in the region where 11 hydropower developments
were located on the main stem of the river, other developments were located on tributary rivers. Without a detailed inventory of the
distribution of eel habitat in the watershed or specific studies of eel mortality at the individual stations the model was designed to
permit scenario analysis to explore scenarios of habitat distribution (simply the proportion of habitat in the watershed located in
areas between the different developments) and estimates of the mortality rate for eels passing through stations of similar size and
design drawn from the scientific literature. The model simply estimated the escapement (survival rate) for the population of mature
eels that would migrate downstream for spawning as a result of the cumulative mortality from the 11 main-stem developments.
While a better estimate of impact could be obtained with a detailed habitat survey in the watershed, and analysis of all
developments, not just those on the main-stem, revealed that under reasonable assumptions of habitat distribution, the escapement
would be less than 10%, an unsustainable impact.
STEP 5: ASSESS SIGNIFICANCE OF PREDICTED CUMULATIVE IMPACTS

Objectives:
Determine impact and risk magnitude and significance in the context of past,
present, and future actions.
Define appropriate threshold and indicators.
Identify trade-off.
Do these impacts affect the sustainability/ viability of the resource / VEC?
What are the consequences / trade-offs of action/ no action?
21
In CIA it is critical to not confuse past and future baselines (Brub 2007).
23

Significance determination is a normal component of ESIA and typically occurs near the end of
the assessment process as significance is typically evaluated after project mitigation is factored
in. However, in ESIA components of impact significance (magnitude / duration) are typically a
factor in deciding if mitigation is necessary. Consequently evaluation of significance and design
of management / mitigation (Step 6) are in reality iterative.
The significance of a cumulative impact is not evaluated in terms of the amount of change, but
the potential resulting impact to the vulnerability and/or risk to the sustainability of the VECs
assessed. This means evaluating cumulative impacts in the context of ecological thresholds.
Determining ecological thresholds for biological VECs has proven to be difficult. In many cases,
such thresholds may not be clearly identified until they are actually crossed, at which point
recovery may take a long time with considerable cost, or may simply not be possible.
Consequently, a precautionary approach that explicitly considers uncertainty in ecological
relationships is essential when thresholds of acceptable VEC condition are being established. 22
Determination of significance can be difficult and it is often controversial 23. Any potential
cumulative impact that warrants additional mitigation / monitoring beyond that identified in the
ESIA should be considered significant. A key good practice for the appropriate determination of
impact significance, and overall agreement among Affected Community and other relevant
stakeholders, is to strengthen mitigation measures and monitoring programs focusing on
expected probable cumulative impacts.
STEP 6: MANAGEMENT OF CUMULATIVE IMPACTS DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION

Objectives:
Use mitigation hierarchy.
Design management strategies to address significant cumulative impacts
over selected VECs.
Propose monitoring program.
Manage uncertainties with informed adaptive management.
How can cumulative impacts be avoided, minimized, and/or mitigated?
How can effectiveness of proposed management measures be assessed?
What are the triggers for specific adaptive management decisions?
The management measures needed to prevent cumulative impacts will depend on both the
context in which the project impacts occur (i.e. the impacts from other projects and natural
drivers that affect the VECs) and the characteristics of the project impacts. Since cumulative
impacts typically result from the actions of multiple stakeholders, the responsibility for their
management is collective, requiring individual actions to eliminate or minimize project
contributions. At times, cumulative impacts could transcend a regional threshold and therefore
collaboration in regional strategies may be necessary to prevent or effectively manage such
22
Databases of ecological thresholds can be found at http://www.resalliance.org/

Significance determination has been a challenge in ESIA and a rich literature has developed (Lawrence 2000). Little if any
guidance exists specifically for CIA, however a review of ESIA significance determination in the context of sustainability was
prepared for the Canadian Joint Review panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project (Lawrence 2005). Experience with significance
determination in 12 CIAs prepared by Hydro-Qubec (Brub 2007) was that application of significance determination methods
normally used in ESIA was very difficult. In the context of regional trends in VEC condition driven by multiple developments, the
standard matrix used in ESIA was found to be useless, and level of significance was not always determined in CIA.
23
24

impacts. Where cumulative impacts already exist, as in the examples describe in Box 12,
management actions by other existing projects may be needed to prevent unacceptable
cumulative impacts.
Box 12. Shared Responsibility for Management of Cumulative Impacts
Significant cumulative effects on a predatory wildlife species resulting from existing forest harvesting, mines, oil and gas operations
and recreational activities (managed by the government) were revealed when the CIA for a new mine proposal was completed. The
proposed management response was the creation of a carnivore compensation program to be jointly supported by the new mine,
the dominant forestry company in the area, some oil and gas interests, and the government.
In another case, concern for cumulative effects of the biochemical oxygen demand from the discharge of a proposed pulp mill
together with the discharges of existing mills resulted in a requirement for a joint monitoring program implemented by the operators
of the existing pulp mills together with operators of the new mill. In addition, should dissolved oxygen drop below a specified limit,
immediate corrective action is required to be taken jointly by the parties (Therivel and Ross, 2007).
Management of cumulative impacts therefore, does not rest solely with developments that come
later in the development sequence and ignoring possible cumulative impacts during project
development carries the risk of unanticipated constraints imposed at a later time.
The analysis phase of the project CIA may, or may not, indicate the need / potential for
additional mitigation measures beyond those identified in the project ESIA. The design of such
additional mitigation measures for the project, if needed, is an early part of the work in this step
of managing cumulative impacts. Iteration of the Analysis (Step 4), Significance Evaluation
(Step 5) and Management (Mitigation) Design (this step) may be needed.
If specific project mitigation can be identified and implemented that will prevent unacceptable
cumulative impacts then collaborative engagement of others in impact management may not
need to be initiated by a project proponent. When prevention of unacceptable cumulative
impacts by project mitigation alone is not possible, collaborative engagement in regional
management strategies will be necessary. In all cases, collaborative engagement in regional
efforts to manage cumulative impacts (e.g. design of project monitoring to fit with regional
monitoring programmes where they exist) may help to reduce the risk of additional
unanticipated management commitments at a later time, as regional development proceeds.
Specific actions that may be needed to effectively manage cumulative impacts may, for
example, include:
Project design changes to avoid cumulative impacts (location, timing, technology);

Project mitigation to minimize cumulative impacts, including adaptive management
approaches to project mitigation 24;
Mitigation of project impacts by other projects (not under control of the proponent to
further minimize impacts on VECs) 25;
Collaborative protection and enhancement of regional areas to preserve biodiversity
(Kiesecker et al. 2009a,b; McKenney et al. 2010);
Collaborative engagement in other regional cumulative impact management strategies,
and;
24
Adaptive management (AM) strategies are not a panacea. A common misunderstanding of adaptive management has emerged in
some ESIA practice that AM is primarily a post-hoc response to developing management responses after problems emerge. AM,
however, is a well developed and rigorous discipline for experimental management for reducing uncertainty about how to effectively
manage. Consequently AM is not appropriate if impacts may not be reversible. In addition it is best employed to assess
management strategies to which VECs are responsive over a relatively short term.
25
Hydro-Qubec found this to be particularly important in CIA practice (Brub 2007).
25

Participation in regional monitoring programs to assess the realized cumulative impacts

and efficacy of management efforts.
The first two points above are clearly the responsibility of the project, the third point is the
responsibility of other project proponents to address their contribution to cumulative impacts
(some of these needed contributions may be discovered during the project CIA process), and
the last three points involve collaborative engagement with other stakeholders, including project
proponents, government agencies, and Affected Communities, among others.
Box 13. Mitigation of Panama Hydroelectric Developments
Together with international and local lenders and other multilateral development banks, the IFC is financing the development of two
cascading hydropower projects on the Chiriqui Viejo River (CVR) in the Chiriqui Province in Western Panama. These projects are
situated in the upper reaches of the watershed above approximately twelve other cascading projects being constructed or planned
for development by other private sector sponsors. A Rapid Cumulative Impact Assessment (RCIA) was conducted with the support
of the lenders group. Results from the RCIA indicated that in addition to the barrier effect caused by the dams, dikes and levees,
the reduced downstream flows between the different projects could significantly impair aquatic habitat connectivity in the dewatered
segments and jeopardize the ultimate viability of the mountain mullet, a catadromous fish currently present in the CVR.
As these two projects are the highest in the watershed, natural movement of spawning fish downstream and juveniles upstream
would first be impacted by several projects under construction in the lower reaches of the CVR. Lack of mitigation of this barrier
effect by projects downstream from the IFC financed projects, would likely compromised the viability of juvenile and adult fish
populations in the higher sections of the CVR.
To address this situation, these two projects have taken a two tiered approach:
First, they have developed a comprehensive downstream ecological flow management plan that will assure that
these two projects release enough water in the dewatered segments downstream, to maintain not only aquatic
habitat connectivity, but also enough usable habitat for key indicator fish and invertebrate species.
Work with the group of lenders, other project sponsors, and the responsible government agencies in Panama, to
tackle not only connectivity but other cumulative issues (e.g. sediment load) at a watershed level. These solutions
are still being negotiated, but include fish hatcheries, as well as catch-and-release of juvenile and adult fish to
repopulate the stream in the dewater segments upstream from the different dams.
3. ARE THERE ANY CHALLENGES WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF CUMULATIVE

IMPACTS ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT? HOW CAN THESE CHALLENGES BE
OVERCOME?
This final section of the GPN recognizes that there are many challenges with the application of
the proposed six step process and with the implementation of an effective strategy to manage
cumulative impacts and risk for multiple projects and activities, and provides some key
recommendations to consider when trying to overcome such challenges.
CIA requires interactions with numerous organizations and individuals from government, third
parties, Affected Communities and other stakeholders. Numerous groups have an interest in
CIA because of its wider geographic scope and focus on impacts from multiple developments.
But what should their role be in a project level CIA or RCIA? The type of interactions that project
proponents should have with interested parties will vary, depending on the development and its
location. In locations where third parties are organized (e.g. farmer or industry association) and
concerned about environmental impacts, third parties may become very involved in some parts
of the assessment (e.g. scoping, provision of data, development of mitigation) or in ongoing
management actions. Also, in locations where governments have established regional planning
processes and means of managing natural resources regionally, they too may become actively
26

involved in parts of the assessment (scoping, provision of data, determination of significance of

impacts) or in implementation of management actions (e.g. regional monitoring program) 26.
Deciding why, when and how to interact with government(s), third parties and Affected
Communities is not straightforward and requires considerable thought and expertise. To
determine the appropriate type and scope of interactions, an understanding of both governance
constraints and of participants capacity constraints is required.
3.1 RECOMMENDATION 1: CLARIFY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A wide range of roles and responsibilities are possible. The principles and purpose for involving
different parties in CIA or RCIA should not change, no matter what the circumstances of
government, third parties or Affected Communities. The principles are meaningful engagement
of Affected Communities, involvement and collaboration with governments and interaction with
third parties. Interactions with government, third parties and affected communities at a minimum
should accomplish the purposes that relate to a clients projectspecific CIA or RCIA. The ideal
roles and responsibilities of different parties and the purpose of these roles/responsibilities are
shown in Table 1.
As illustrated in Table 2 significant gaps typically exist between the actual governance context
for a development and the ideal roles and responsibilities shown in Table 1. Gaps in roles and
responsibilities need to be explicitly identified and handled by different management strategies
in a CIA or RCIA.
Table 1. CIA Governance Gaps
Typical Governance Context
What to do?
No policy or legal framework for CIA.
Identify and use any existing sources of partial

information about policy or regulatory limits to
development (e.g. policy statements, strategic
or sectoral assessments, national/regional
development actions plans and targets); use
sustainability and vulnerability as proxies to
define acceptable limits for all policy and
regulatory gaps. Technical expertise will be
needed to understand and apply sustainability
and vulnerability concepts in CIA.
26
For guidance please refer to IFC published documents on good practice and guidance on Stakeholder Engagement, Participatory
Monitoring, Grievance Mechanisms
http://www1.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/ifc+sustainability/publications/publica
tions_handbook_stakeholderengagement__wci__1319577185063
tions_gpn_grievances
tions_gpn_socialdimensions__wci__1319578072859
tions_handbook_waterfootprintmanual__wci__1319577922803
tions_handbook_doingbetterbusiness__wci__1319576642349
27

No regional planning or collaborative resource

management mechanisms.
Share CIA / RCIA purpose, process and

requirements with government and third
parties early-on and discuss their participation
in CIA / RCIA (including implications and
benefits of them participating in this process);
discuss environmental and social permitting
requirements with government authorities and
ensure ESIA and CIA/RCIA will provide
government with the information it needs for
decision-making; assess the level of
involvement feasible for government and third
parties and reach agreement with them about
their
participation
and
roles
and
responsibilities; encourage the participation of
government, third parties and representatives
of affected communities in scoping, review of
CIA / RCIA findings, proposed management
strategies and impact monitoring.
Gaps can be identified by comparing the ideal given in Table 1 with the actual situation for a
proposed development. In general, there are two approaches for managing gaps in roles and
responsibilities. First, clarify and gain acceptance for all roles and responsibilities clearly
define the roles and responsibilities of the client as opposed to those of government, third
parties and Affected Communities/the public and ensure the different parties understand their
respective roles. Second, communicate the established roles and responsibilities widely
inform stakeholders, NGOs and other potentially interested groups from within and outside the
projects DIA and region.
3.2 RECOMMENDATION 2: ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH

GOVERNMENT AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS
Establishing and maintaining a constructive relationship with government and other
stakeholders over the life of a project is an integral part of CIA. Table 3 provides specific details
about the place for and objectives of interactions. However, limitations in capacity can inhibit
governments and other stakeholders from participating as needed in a proponents CIA process.
Where government capacity is low, interactions should occur at a minimum in those areas
identified in bold in Table 1; but where capacities are greater it is useful to increase the
number/scope of such interactions.
Box 14. Regional Collaboration in CIA
Various groups have been working in different contexts to establish collaboration between developments for regional CIA. For
example collaborative initiatives have been developed in Australia with regard to impacts of the coal mining industry, including:
strategic and regional planning led primarily by government; information exchange networking and forums; pooling of resources to
support CIA initiatives and programs; and multi-stakeholder and regional monitoring (Franks et al 2010a, 2010b). These approaches
vary in complexity with each demanding a different degree of maturity in the collaborative relationship. Given the expected
challenges of conducting CIA in emerging market contexts collaboration among project proponents offers the prospect of
efficiencies through information sharing and joint management approaches that should improve CIA quality, thereby reducing risks
associated with unmanaged cumulative impacts while at the same time being more cost effective. Such collaborative efforts
represent one thrust in the early development of enabling frameworks for CIA.
28

4. CLOSING REMARKS
While the expanded geographical and temporal scope of CIA relative to ESIA is often a
challenge, the most significant challenge to perform and implement a good CIA process lies in
its multi-stakeholder nature. To facilitate the assessment and management of cumulative
impacts, practitioners have called for, and in some developed countries governments are now
beginning to develop, regional enabling frameworks for CIA. Such frameworks would support
CIA by:
establishing regional thresholds for VEC condition;

making available information on current state and trends in VEC condition;
making available information on the impacts of existing developments;
possibly providing regional modelling tools; and
developing a framework for regional cumulative impact monitoring.
However, as of the first quarter of 2013 these frameworks are generally not well advanced or
widely available.
The creation of a regional enabling framework for CIA is beyond the capacity of individual
proponents. However, good practice for cumulative impact assessment and management
includes supporting the development of such frameworks. This may take several forms: working
to engage other parties in the CIA or RCIA process; sharing the results of the project CIA or
RCIA including recommendations for project-specific and regional management actions needed
by others to effectively manage cumulative impacts; and supporting the implementation of
collaborative approaches to cumulative impact management through information exchange
networking, pooling resources for implementation of shared management initiatives, and
participation in multi-stakeholder / regional monitoring 27.
Furthermore, since the basic logic framework for ESIA and CIA is essentially the same 28, and
since they share many common standard tools and analytical methods, the key strategy needed
to address the expanded scope of CIA is to ensure that:
The CIA team has adequate qualifications and skills;

The budget for the proponents CIA is specified and included in the project budget with
the amounts allocated appropriate for the likely scope and level of detail of the CIA; and
The assessment schedule is appropriate given augmented scope and complex multistakeholder context.
Preliminary estimates of monitoring and mitigation costs may be developed early on in project
development, but the full costs will likely need to be reassessed once the CIA or RCIA is
complete.
It is critical to the success of CIA or RCIA, as applicable, that the individual project mitigation
and, where needed, regional cumulative impact management strategies be implemented as
designed. At the same time, estimates of cumulative impacts are often uncertain. The
management approach to implementation thus needs to be adaptive, monitoring both the
27
Even when a project specific CIA is not required, good environmental management practice, supports regional efforts to assess
and manage cumulative impacts. This would include making project ESIA reports and project impact monitoring results available to
others who are working to manage cumulative impacts within the regional context.
28
See Appendix 2 Basic Logic Framework for CIA.
29

impacts and the effectiveness of management approaches, and adjusting the management to
ensure avoidance of unacceptable cumulative impacts. As with management of impacts
identified in ESIA, this works best when management of cumulative impacts is integrated into
company business plans and strategies.
30

Table 2. Roles and Responsibilities of Participants in CIA under Ideal Governance Conditions
Roles and Responsibilities of Different Parties in Ideal Conditions
Government
Establish policy and legal framework for resource management and cumulative
impact management
Establish and lead regional planning structures and collaborative mechanisms for
managing resource developments and cumulative impacts
Implement development permitting process that considers cumulative impacts of all

developments/pressures and conforms to values and limits given regional plans and
national frameworks
Design and conduct CIA study of a geographic area which includes the baseline
(historical) conditions and predicts the future baseline based upon the carrying
capacity of the VECs
Issues approvals to individual private sector projects to be developed based upon

this information
Lead development and implementation of regional cumulative impact monitoring

program that analyzes development pressures and impacts at regional scale and
compares results to values/acceptable limits for resource development
Private Sector Project Proponent
Design and conduct CIA (or RCIA) study of the incremental impacts of the project
building upon the CIA study conducted by the government
Monitor and manage cumulative impacts and risks related to development for life of
development
Provide project- level cumulative impact monitoring data to regional cumulative

impact monitoring program
Support regional planning structures and collaborative mechanisms for managing

cumulative impacts to prevent their limits being reached; actively participate as
needed in collaborative systems with government, private sector and public
Third Parties (other developers /resource users)
Similar to proponent above, except it also covers existing developments
Assess and manage cumulative impacts of existing developments
Assess and manage cumulative impacts of proposed developments; prepare ESIA and
CIA for permitting-decision-makers if needed
Collect and provide data for regional cumulative impact monitoring program
Participate in regional planning structures and collaborative mechanisms for managing
CIA at regional or larger scales
Affected Communities and Public

Public participates in value setting for policy/legal frameworks and regional resource
management plans
Affected communities participate in CIA of individual projects
Public participates in collaborative management of cumulative impacts
Purpose
(the minimum roles/responsibilities interactions should accomplish are shown in italics,
other recommended interactions are shown in underline)
Scale
National/
sub-national
Regional
Local
Defines values and acceptable limits for resource development
Defines locations for acceptable types and limits of developments
Identifies contribution of each development to cumulative impacts in region,

gives public and proponent assurance that proposed developments are
within acceptable limits set by legal framework and regional plans and
processes
Gives information on state of VECs in region and assurance that cumulative
impact values and development objectives are being met; provides
database for project level CIA
Regional
Site-regional
Local-regional
Site-local
Regional
Site-Local
Site-Local
Site-regional
Regional
National regional
Site-local
Regional
31
Gives financial institutions and decision-makers, cumulative impact

information to evaluate the project
Conforms to CIA commitments/permit conditions; manages
development to prevent it causing VECs to reach limits
Gives government project-related cumulative impact data it needs to
manage uncertainty of impact predictions and prevent VECs reaching limits
Enables effective monitoring and management of cumulative impacts at
appropriate scale; supports collaborative multi-stakeholder solutions
for CIA
Provides project proponents and other developers, decision-makers and
regional monitoring program with details about impacts of existing
developments
Provides proponent and other developers, government and other
stakeholders with details about proposed developments (i.e. project
description, impact analysis, ESIA/CIA)
Gives project-level data needed for regional cumulative impact monitoring
program
Enables effective regional management of cumulative impacts; supports
collaborative multi-stakeholder process
Ensures regional resource development limits and conditions reflect public
values
Allows values of affected people to be reflected in scoping and
valuation of project-level CIAs
Fosters public ownership of cumulative impact management objectives and
results

Table 3. Interactions with Stakeholders in CIA

Parties
Government
Third Parties
Affected
Communities and
Public
Places in CIA Process Requiring Interactions with Parties
Objectives of Interactions
Minimum
Assessment Scoping, baseline
data collection, review of impact
findings
Management collection and
review of cumulative impact
monitoring data
Ideal
Government leading
collaborative CIA program of
planning, permitting,
monitoring and managing
cumulative impacts
Assessment informed about CIA

study and results
Management informed about
cumulative impact monitoring and
management program and relevant
results
Assessment Scoping,
Assessment of Significance
Management Collection and
review of cumulative impact
monitoring data
Provide information about

existing and proposed
projects, participate in
collaborative mitigation,
monitoring and management
Provide project proponent with

government standards, data,
views, expertise, concerns and
validation for assessment;
facilitates government role in
collaborative monitoring and
management
Provide proponent with third party
information needed for CIA;
promote third party participation in
collaborative monitoring and
management
As many steps in the CIA

process as possible e.g.
data collection, formulation of
mitigation, ongoing monitoring
Include values and concerns of

affected people in CIA; gain public
support and insights in project
planning and operations
32

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Report: Climate Change 2007: Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.
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Development Bank. November 2008
40

Appendix 1. Examples of indicators to assess incremental project

impacts and indicators for cumulative assessment of the same
impacts
The following table provides examples of indicator selection for representing incremental
change and for cumulative impact for different types of impacts, together with reference to the
applicable IFC Performance Standard for the impact type.
Project Impact
Additional wage
employment
opportunities
Addition of a pollutant
to the environment
(air, water)
Additional incidents of
disease, alcohol and
drugs and crime
Loss of Land (land

alienation)
Elimination of
terrestrial habitat
Indicator of Incremental
Indicator of Cumulative
Impact
Impact
Incremental number of
Number, size, skill
employed, unemployed
levels of regional labour
and participation rates of
force
affected population
Measures for shifts in
Incremental value of
livelihood and
subsistence income,
sustainability of
wage and other income
livelihoods
to population
Concentration of the
Concentration of the
pollutant in the emission /
pollutant in the
discharge
receiving environment
Concentration relative to
Concentration relative
discharge standard
to ambient standard
Load from the project
Total loading (from all
sources) of the
pollutant
Characterization of the
spatial emission /
Characterization of the
spatial pattern of the
discharge plume from the
concentration of
project
pollutants in the
downstream
environment
Number of additional
Total number of
incidents of STD
incidents, Proportion of
diseases, alcohol and
population affected
drug problems and crime Measures for
rates
community and
Incremental changes to
regional health and
demands on health,
wellness; safety and
social and policing
security
services
Area/proportion of
Total land area
land lost, damaged or
available, Value of land
inaccessible due to
use benefits
project
Total population
Incremental change in
affected
benefits of affected land
Measures for
users (e.g. lost
sustainable livelihood
agricultural production,
and poverty
subsistence use, etc.)
Area / fraction of habitat
Total area of lost
lost due to the project
habitat
Population size
population carrying
supported by
41
Performance
Standard
1&2
5, 7
6, 7

Project Impact
Addition of mortality
to a wildlife
population
Indicator of Incremental
Impact
capacity
Number killed per time

period
mortality rate
42
Indicator of Cumulative
Impact
remaining available
habitat
Measures of habitat
fragmentation
Range of natural
variation population
total mortality rate
Performance
Standard

Appendix 2. Basic Logic Framework Lessons from CIA Practice

CIA shares the same basic analytical process of an ESIA, and thus it involves the following
steps:
choose a set of development alternatives and variants to assess;
choose end-points (VECs) for comparative analysis of the development alternatives, and
the terms in which performance of each alternative will be expressed (indicators);
assess the expected impact of each development alternative in terms of each VECs
indicators;
if no alternative performs adequately, redesign one or more alternatives (e.g. mitigation
measures) with the express intention to improve performance; and
examine the results of analysis, weight the VECs according to decision-makers
preferences, and synthesize the results of analysis into an information package for
decision-makers.
Given the objectives for CIA, the experience of CIA practitioners reveals that CIA good practice
has the following characteristics 29:
Process Management
Ideally, regional CIA is conducted by the government prior to issuing approval (a

concession, a license, etc.) for private sector developments, or the government will have
established a CIA framework to support and enable good CIA practice by private sector
developers;
If the government or some other authority designated by the government has not
conducted a regional CIA then the project proponent should take into account the
findings and conclusions of related and applicable plans, studies, or assessments to
develop a process of CIA; and
The CIA may be linked to the ESIA and is begun early enough in project development
that consideration of cumulative impacts can inform risk-based project decision making
about project design.
Consultation and Collaboration
Consultation with affected parties is transparent. Information about the proposed

development should be provided to affected parties, including the results of the CIA.
Where possible, collaboration is established with other developers and government
regulators to facilitate joint efforts for cumulative impact management; and
The results of the CIA, including the details of any future scenario used to explore the
consequences of uncertainty, are made available to others working in the area to
support future CIAs or regional CIA frameworks.
Scoping
29
A relatively small set of VECs are selected for analysis based on their importance,
concern for and / or likelihood of cumulative impacts; and
Sources: Burris and Canter (1997); McCold and Holman (1999); Baxter et al (2001); Cooper and Sheate (2002); Antoniuk (2002);
Kennett (2002); Duinker and Greig (2006, 2007); Brub (2007); Therivel and Ross (2007); Canter and Ross (2010);
Franks and his colleagues (2010a, 2010b); Cooper (2011); Gunn & Noble (2011); IFC PS1 (2012).
43

Scoping establishes the environmental context for CIA including:

o Clear temporal and spatial boundaries are defined and the rationale documented;
o Identification of other developments that impact the chosen VECs. This includes
other types of development that have different but important impacts on the
selected VECs
o Identification of natural drivers that impact the condition of VECs
o Variation in natural environmental processes that will affect the cumulative
impacts is identified
o Consider jurisdictional issues and overlapping legislation.
Analysis
Assumptions and uncertainties regarding cumulative impacts are clearly stated;

Thresholds / limits / targets for VEC condition / status are defined and the rational for
their designation clearly documented;
Determination of significance is adapted to each VEC;
Analysis of cumulative impacts is done in the context of: the project, other already
existing developments, other reasonably predictable future developments (i.e. in the
planning stage and others that are reasonably predictable including other developments
that could be induced by the project), and natural environmental drivers. Analysis is not
limited only to impacts from projects of the same type but includes all reasonable
foreseeable impacts on the chosen VECs;
Analysis may be limited to a single future projection of reasonably predictable future
developments, however, within this scenario analysis includes assessment of cumulative
impacts over the possible range of environmental variation (i.e. is not focused only on
expected average conditions, for example: a critical concern with regard to the discharge
of pollutants may be the rate of dilution and the associated impacts can be expected to
be at a maximum when natural river flows are at a minimum, rather than average or
maximum flows);
When appropriate, alternative development scenarios are used to assess the potential
environmental and social risks during the life time of the project;
The analysis of different cumulative impacts is done at a spatial and temporal scale that
is appropriate for the particular VEC / cumulative impact (for example, some wildlife
species range over a large area and will be impacted by projects throughout this area,
diversions/withdrawals of water from rivers may have cumulative impacts at
considerable distances from a proposed project, where the impacted water course
converges with other rivers that are similarly impacted see example of the Aral Sea).
Analysis and conclusions are based on the scale of measurement appropriate to impact
being assessed. Thus, for example, biophysical impacts are analyzed and reported
quantitatively, although conclusions may be summarized qualitatively;
Clarify the difference between a past baseline of observed condition, if known, and the
future analytical baseline (of predicted state without the project);
Identification of the project contribution to cumulative impacts is based on a comparison
of the predicted environmental condition resulting from other existing and future
developments (the future baseline) and the environmental condition that results when
the project impacts are added to the future baseline; and
Consideration of the significance of cumulative impacts may be done either: a) in regard
to the change in environmental (VEC) condition relative to a past or present baseline, or
b) relative to an established threshold / objective for VEC condition.
44

Impact Management
Effects monitoring needed to assess the realized cumulative impacts is clearly defined
and implemented. Monitoring recommendations may extend beyond what will be done
by the proponent to identify co-ordinated monitoring by other developers and
stakeholders;
In addition to mitigation of the proposed projects impacts, multi-party regional mitigation
/ management (e.g. additional mitigation of other developments, offsets, management
programs) that may be needed to effectively manage cumulative impacts is also
identified and support from other stakeholders (governments, developers and
communities) is sought to implement it (for example: by an existing authority such as a
watershed coordinating agency, if it exists; or if no such agency exists, by a collaborative
initiative established by the various proponents see Franks, 2010a;2010b);
The projects monitoring of cumulative impacts is used to update their management
system and drive future management of impacts; and
Ideally, the government updates the CIA report to incorporate the results of the project
monitoring program to inform future decision making.
45

Appendix 3. Standard Annotated ToR for a Rapid Cumulative Impact

Assessment (RCIA)
Terms of Reference for < the project >
1. Introduction
These Terms of Reference (ToR) describe the requirements for Rapid Cumulative Impact
Assessment and Management for < the project > (the project).
< Provide background description of project purpose and location>
2. IFC Requirements for RCIA

The US Council on Environmental Quality (1997) defines CEA as follows: the impact on the
environment which results from the incremental impact of the action when added to their past,
present and reasonably foreseeable future actions regardless of what agency (federal or nonfederal) or person undertakes such other action. Hegman et al. (1999) define cumulative
effects as changes to the environment that are caused by an action in combination with other
past, present and future actions.
PS 1 defines the project area of influence to encompass cumulative impacts that result from
the incremental impact, on areas or resources used or directly impacted by the project, from
other existing, planned or reasonably defined developments at the time the risks and impact
identification process is conducted. PS1 offers some context to limit the cumulative impacts to
be addressed to those impacts generally recognized as important on the basis of scientific
concerns and/or concerns from Affected Communities and provides examples such as
incremental contribution of gaseous emissions to an air-shed; reduction of water flows in a
watershed due to multiple withdrawals; increases in sediment loads to a watershed; interference
with migratory routes or wildlife movement; or more traffic congestion and accidents due to
increases in vehicular traffic on community roadways.
Even though, PS1 does not expressly require, or put the sole onus on, private sector clients to
complete a full Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA), it states that the impact and risk
identification process will take into account the findings and conclusions of related and
applicable plans, studies, or assessments prepared by relevant government authorities or other
parties that are directly related to the project and its area of influence including master
economic development plans, country or regional plans, feasibility studies, alternatives
analyses, and cumulative, regional, sectoral, or strategic environmental assessments where
relevant. Furthermore, it goes on stating that the client can take these into account by focusing
on the projects incremental contribution to selected impacts generally recognized as important
on the basis of scientific concern or concerns from the Affected Communities within the area
addressed by these larger scope regional studies or cumulative assessments
Similarly, PS Guidance Note 1 states that in situations where multiple projects occur in, or are
planned for, the same geographic area... it may also be appropriate for the client to conduct a
46

CIA as part of the risks and impacts identification process. However, it clearly recommends that
this assessment should (a) be commensurate with the incremental contribution, source, extent,
and severity of the cumulative impacts anticipated, and (b) determine if the project is
incrementally responsible for adversely affecting an ecosystem component or specific
characteristic beyond an acceptable predetermined threshold (carrying capacity) by the relevant
government entity, in consultation with other relevant stakeholders.
Therefore, although the total cumulative impacts due to multiple projects should be typically
identified in government sponsored assessments and regional planning efforts, to comply with
PS1, IFC clients are expected to ensure that their own assessment determines the degree to
which the project under review is contributing to the cumulative effects.
3. Objective
The objectives of the RCIA analysis are:
to determine if the combined impacts of: the project, other projects and activities, and
natural environmental drivers with result in VEC condition that may put the sustainability
of a VEC at risk (i.e. exceed a threshold for VEC condition which is an unacceptable
outcome);
to determine what management measures could be implemented to prevent
unacceptable VEC condition, this may include additional mitigation of the project being
assessed, additional mitigation of other existing or predictable future projects, or other
regional management strategies that could maintain VEC condition within acceptable
limits.
4. Conduct of the RCIA

<in the following sections add additional text as needed to characterize specific characteristics
of the RCIA ToR that are known at the time the ToR is issued, for example, where it is already
known that there are regional concerns for the condition of one or more VECs the VECs should
be identified in the notes included in Section 4.1).
IFCs Good Practice Note Cumulative Impact Assessment and Management Guidance for the
Private Sector in Emerging Markets (the CIA GPN) describes a six step process for CIA that
should be used in conducting CIA for <the project>:
o
o
o
o
o
o
Scoping Phase I VECs, Spatial and Temporal Boundaries

Scoping Phase II Other Activities and Environmental Drivers
Establish information on baseline status of VECs
Assess cumulative impacts on VECs
Assess significance of predicted cumulative impacts
Management of Cumulative Impacts Design and Implementation
The following ToR sections provide a brief outline of the work to be undertaken in conducting
the RCIA for the project. Refer to the CIA GPN for additional guidance regarding conduct of the
following steps.
4.1 Scoping Phase I VECs, Spatial and Temporal Boundaries
Tasks:
Identify the Valued Environmental and Social Components to include in the RCIA,
47

Identify the spatial boundaries of the RCIA; and

Identify the temporal extent of the RCIA.
Note:
VECs to include are those that would be impacted by the project, with any degree of
residual impact. Thus VECs for which there is an impact that was deemed insignificant in
the ESIA are not to be included in the CIA.
If the number of VECs is too large to conduct an analysis of all, priority for analysis
should be given to those for which there is existing regional concern reflected in the
regional baseline information (see section 4.3).
4.2 Scoping Phase II Other Activities and Environmental Drivers

Tasks:
Identify other existing and reasonably predictable projects and human activities that
do/would affect the VECs to be included in the RCIA; and
Identify natural environmental drivers that also impact the condition VECs identified in
section 4.1.
Note:
developments that could be reasonable expected to be induced by the projects are
considered to be reasonably predictable
where there is a significant potential for further development, but not specific
development proposals in place, a scenario of potential development may be considered
4.3 Establish information on baseline status of VECs

Tasks:
Collect available information on the impacts of the other activities and natural drivers on
the condition of the VECs;
Collect available information on trends in VEC condition; and
Collect available information on regional thresholds for VEC condition.
Note:
If regional thresholds for VEC condition have not been established, they may have to be
estimated based on estimates from other regions. As feasible, the estimation should be
peer reviewed.
4.4 Assess cumulative impacts on VECs
Tasks:
Establish indicators for expression of VEC condition this may already be reflected in
the information collected on VEC baseline status (in 4.3 above). If not, then indicators
will need to be established that can be estimated from the baseline information;
Estimate the future baseline for condition of the VECs i.e. the condition of VECs as
affected by the other projects, human activities, and natural drivers;
Estimate the project impact on VEC condition this estimation is done with the effects of
planned project mitigation included; and
48

Estimate the Net Cumulative Impact on VECs the total impact on the VECs when the
project impacts are combined with the future baseline.
Note:
a wide variety of methods have been used for CIA analysis, methods chosen for the
analysis should be chosen to be compatible with the information available for the
analysis and that can provide, whenever possible, a quantitative estimate of cumulative
impact.
if qualitative estimates of cumulative impact are to be developed, they should be based
on the consensus estimate of a panel of experts rather than on the opinion of an
individual expert.
4.5 Assess significance of predicted cumulative impacts
Tasks:
Assess significance of the predicted cumulative impacts on the VEC.
Note:
When the cumulative impact on VEC condition will approach, be near to, or exceed a
threshold, the impact is significant.
The analysis may reveal that significant cumulative impacts will exist without the project.
4.6 Management of Cumulative Impacts Design and Implementation
Tasks:
Identify, when necessary, additional project mitigation (beyond that identified in the
project ESIA) to reduce and estimated unacceptable cumulative impact on a VEC to an
acceptable level (iteration with the tasks described in 4.4 and 4.5 will be necessary to
assess the value of such additional mitigation. This should represent effective
application of the Mitigation Hierarchy 30 in environmental and social management of the
specific project contributions to the expected cumulative impacts;
If necessary, identify the potential, or need for, additional mitigation of other existing or
reasonably predictable future projects;
Identify the potential for other regional strategies that could maintain VECs within
acceptable condition; and
Undertake best efforts to engage, enhance, and contribute to a multi-stakeholder

collaborative approach for the implementation of management actions that are beyond
the capacity of the project proponent.
30
Defined in PS1 as the strategy to first anticipate and avoid impacts and risk over workers, the environment and/or Affected
Communities, or where avoidance is not possible impacts and risks must be minimized. Acceptable option to minimize will vary and
include: abate, rectify, repair, and/or restore. Finally, where residual impacts remain, these must be compensate/offset.
49

4.7 Stakeholder Engagement 31

Stakeholder engagement is critical to success of RCIA. Engagement should start early in the
process, i.e. in Scoping (sections 4.1, 4.2) and continue throughout the RCIA process.
Stakeholder engagement will be essential for collection of the information needed for the RCIA
analysis, and likely also to secure cooperation in implementation of mitigation of the impacts of
other projects, and or identification and design of regional cumulative impact management
strategies that may be needed to avoid unacceptable cumulative impacts.
Stakeholder Engagement should be designed and implemented to:
clarify stakeholder roles and responsibilities in the RCIA process, and to

establish and maintain a constructive relationship with government and other
stakeholders.
The second point above is essential when additional mitigation is needed for other projects.
Engaging in assigning blame for cumulative impacts is likely to be counter-productive.
Cumulative impacts are by their multi-party nature a collective responsibility and in this regard a
maintaining a constructive relationship will be essential.
31
For further guidance please refer to IFC published documents on good practice and guidance on Stakeholder Engagement,
Participatory Monitoring, Grievance Mechanisms
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IFC - Good Practice Note - Cumulative Impacts

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IFC - Good Practice Note - Cumulative Impacts

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EXTERNAL PEER REVIEW DRAFT

Good Practice Note

Cumulative Impact Assessment and Management

International Finance Corporation World Bank Group

ESSA Technologies Ltd.

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

Cumulative Impact Assessment and Management

Cumulative Effect Assessment

Direct Area of Influence

Environmental and Social Impact Assessment

Environmental and Social Management System

IFC Guidance Note 1

International Finance Corporation

IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability

Rapid Cumulative Impact Assessment

Strategic Environmental Assessment

Valued Environmental Component(s) (ecosystem, social, or cultural)

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

Effective application of the Mitigation Hierarchy 2 in environmental and social

Best efforts to engage, enhance, and contribute to a multi-stakeholder collaborative

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

1. WHAT IS CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT AND WHY IS IT

effects on ambient conditions such as incremental contribution of pollutant emissions in

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

Box 1. Demise of the Aral Sea

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

Box 2. Valued Environmental and Social Components (VECs)*

ecosystem conditions (e.g. biodiversity),

social conditions (e.g. health, economics), or

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

1.2 WHAT IS CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT?

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

1.4 WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF CIA?

Identification of all VECs that may be potentially affected by the development;

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

Assessment/estimation of the future condition of affected VECs, as the result of the

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

Applies to the potential impacts of a particular development

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

1.5.1 Comparing ESIAs and CIAs

CIA also begins with a project centered view to

a future baseline impact that is the total impact of

Figure 4. CIA Components (After Farris

In the CIA context, the incremental impact of a project

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

2. WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR IMPLEMENTING CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

STEP 1: SCOPING PHASE I VECS, SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL BOUNDARIES

Identify and agree on VEC consulting with all relevant stakeholders.

VECs known or suspected to be impacted by the project (based on prior sectoral

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

After CEQ. 1997

DRAFT (External Peer Review) - CIA Good Practice Note for

STEP 2: SCOPING PHASE II OTHER ACTIVITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS

Box 8. Cumulative Impacts of Climate and Hydropower