STF3033

Environmental
Impact Asessment
LU2(b): Biological
Environment
INTRODUCTION
WHY prediction and asessment of impacts on the
biological environment are IMPORTANT?
Many projects (and activities) can cause undesirable
impacts on terrestrial and/or aquatic ecosystems.
Examples:
 Habitat degradation through overgrazing practices
 Wetland drainage for agricultural, industrial, or urban
development
 Habitat loss because of excessive deforestation
 Critical risk for endangered or threatened species –
timber harvesting, recreational developemnt
 Potential toxic effects to plants and wildlife
KEY FEDERAL LEGISLATION
There are numerous federal laws related directly or indirectly to the
biological environment.
Examples include:
Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (replaces Wildlife Protection Act 1972)
An Act to provide for the regulation, protection, conservation and management
of wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan.
Fisheries Act 1985
An Act relating to fisheries, including the conservation, management and
development of maritime and estuarine fishing and fisheries
National Forestry Act 1984
Prohibition on taking of forest produce from permanent reserved forest or State
land unless licensed, etc.
National Parks Act 1980
The prohibition of the killing, maiming, trapping, capturing or impounding of
any wild life within a National Park and the disposal of such wild life killed, maimed,
trapped, captured or impounded
Conceptual Approach for Study Focused on
Biological Environment Impacts
• Identification biological impacts of proposed project/activity
Step 1

• Description of existing biological conditions

Step 2

• Procurement of relevant laws, regulations or criteria related to impacts and/or

Step 3 conditions

• Impact prediction
Step 4

• Assessment of impact significance

Step 5

• Identification and incorporation of mitigation measures

Step 6
Conceptual Approach for Study Focused on
Biological Environment Impacts
• Identification of biological impacts of proposed
Step 1 project/activity
 Qualitatively identify the potential impacts of the proposed project
on biological resources.
 Impact-identification methods such as matrices, networks or a
simple checklist can provide a systematic basis for delineating
potential impacts of concern.

Step 2
• Description of existing biological conditions

 Floral components (Vegetation, plant species and distribution,

endemism, endangered species, protected species)
 Faunal components (Wildlife species and distribution, endemism,
endangered species, protected species)
 EXAMPLE:
Description of existing “
biological conditions
(Source: DEIA for the
Proposed PETRONAS
LNG Train at Tanjung
Kidurong, Bintulu
Retrieved from
doe.gov.my)
 THREATENED SPECIES:

Critically Endangered (CR): A species

facing an extremely high risk of extinction
in the wild.

“ An Endangered (EN) species is one that

faced a very high risk of extinction in the
wild.
A Vulnerable (VU) species is one
considered to be facing a high risk of
extinction in the wild.

In fact, Malaysia is recognised as

one of 12 mega-diversity countries
with many of its species occurring in
unusually high densities (for
example, there are estimated to be
around 1,500 species of terrestrial
vertebrates alone). 

Many of these species are, however,

threatened (for example, 14% of
Malaysia’s mammals are listed
by IUCN as endangered).
Protected / Totally Protected Species

◎ Federal Law (Wildlife Conservation Act 2010) and State Laws

(Sarawak Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998, Sabah Wildlife
Conservation Enactment 1997) listed species as Protected
and Totally Protected in their schedules.
◎ This means these species are also protected outside Totally
Protected Areas such as National Parks and Wildlife
Sanctuaries.
◎ The difference between protected species and totally protected
species is in the penalty for offences – higher fine and longer
imprisonment for totally protected species.
◎ In the description of existing environment, you should indicate
whether the species of flora and fauna are listed as protected
or totally protected, in addition to indicating their threatened
category under IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Example of fauna data for Existing Environment

IUCN Status
Common

Endemic
SWLPO

CITES
name
 

Family: Felidae
Catopuma badia Bay Cat  EN TP   II
Pardofelis marmorata Marbled Cat NT TP   I
Prionailurus bengalensis Leopard Cat LC P   II
Family: Ursidae
Helarctos malayanus Sun Bear VU P   I
Family: Viverridae
Arctictis binturong Bear cat VU P   III
Arctogalidia trivirgata Small-toothed Palm Civet LC P   NL
Hemigalus derbyanus Banded Palm Civet NT P   II
Paguma larvata Masked Palm Civet LC P   III
Conceptual Approach for Study Focused on
Biological Environment Impacts
• Procurement of relevant laws, regulations or criteria related
Step 3 to impacts and/or conditions
 The primary sources of information on legislation, regulations,
criteria or guidelines related to the biological environment at the
federal/state levels.
 Examples are as discussed earlier.

Step 4
• Impact prediction

 Example: Refer list of Environmental Resources and Potential

Impacts of Development (Source: Community Guide to
Development Impact Analysis)
Environmental Resources and Potential Impacts
of Development (Source: Community Guide to
Development Impact Analysis)
“
Conceptual Approach for Study Focused on
Biological Environment Impacts

Step 5
• Assessment of impact significance

 Interpretation of the anticipated impacts of a proposed project (or

activity) should be considered not only in terms of individual
species, but also relative to the general characteristics of the
affected habitat(s) and overall ecosystem.

Step 6
• Identification and incorporation of mitigation measures

 Mitigation measures for biological impacts can include avoidance,

minimization, rectification, preservation, and/or compensation.
 Refer Table 2 for Summary of Suggested Biological Mitigation
Measures of Forest Harvesting Operation
(Source: NREB, Sarawak 1995)
Summary of Suggested Biological Mitigation Measures
“
of Forest Harvesting Operation
(Source: NREB, Sarawak 1995)
Erosion Control using cover crop in oil palm plantation, also on cut
slopes for road construction.
LU2: ENVIRONMENTAL
CHARACTERISTICS AND
COMPONENTS OF EIA
(c) Habitat and
communities
Habitat and
Communities
Terrestrial ecosystem
• Tropical rainforest
eg. Dipterocarp forest
• Seasonal forest
• Dry forest

Aquatic ecosystem
◎ Freshwater
- Rivers and streams
- Lakes and ponds
- Wetlands (swamps)
- Mangrove forest
◎ Marine and corals
 The role of ecological evaluation within EIA
The main role of ecological evaluation, in particular, is played within
the three closely connected stages of baseline study,
impact prediction and impact assessment.
In these stages the results of an ecological evaluation are to be
applied for:

• Determining the ecological significance of the area under analysis

in the pre-project conditions (baseline study);
• Helping in the selection of the indicators that are relevant
to express changes in such an ecological significance
(impact prediction);
• Estimating the ecological significance of the area in the post-
project conditions (impact assessment).
 Habitat Evaluation for EIA Report
The definition of habitat in EIA document is based on
ecosystem values and functions. Therefore, it is
necessary to present habitats as classes of similar
ecosystems that contain a known set of ecological
values and functions.

The habitats discussed in EIA report should

includes broad vegetation-based categories that
include a range of more specific ecosystem
types.
 Habitat Evaluation for EIA Report

An individual habitat must be evaluated in the

context of its specific geographic location to
determine its true value. At the same time, the
effect of alterations to a habitat by degrading
activities must be considered in terms of the
impact on the entire landscape.

Therefore, an ecological perspective is essential

for the adequate consideration of habitat issues.
 Habitat Evaluation for EIA Report
The following considerations should be central to
any process of habitat evaluation:
• Apply an ecosystem-level perspective that considers
the full range of interactions among habitat
components.
• Assess the cumulative effects that arise from the
additive and synergistic impacts of several degrading
activities occurring over time or space.
• Analyze the true effectiveness of mitigation measures in
conserving natural habitats and their ecological values.
 Ecological Evaluation

Selecting and designating areas of land as

nature reserves; allocating different land-use
intensities within a nature reserve; assessing the
magnitude of the impacts on ecosystems caused
by a proposed development; recommending the
most ecologically- friendly land corridor to host a
new infrastructure.
Overview of the criteria more often used for ecological evaluation

*Objective 1: the maintenance of natural areas and their biological diversity per se;
*Objective 2: the maintenance of the social functions provided by natural areas
(cultural, scientific, recreational, etc.).
 Rarity. A measure of how frequently certain species or ecosystem
types are encountered (Edwards-Jones et al. 2000). It can be
meaningfully described only by referring to a scale of analysis (local,
regional, etc.). Rarer species and ecosystems are more prone to extinction,
and therefore their conservation becomes a priority;
 Diversity. A measure of the number of different types of species or
habitat types that exist in a given area. Species and habitat diversity
are often correlated because habitats with high diversity in general provide
niches for a higher number of species than homogeneous habitats. The
main rationale for protecting areas with high diversity can be best
synthesised by the statement “more for your money” (Smith and Theberge
1986);
 Size. The measure of the extent of a natural area. It is relevant
because, all other things being equal, larger sites tend to support more
species and higher densities than smaller sites;
 Naturalness. The degree to which an ecosystem is free from
biophysical disturbance caused by human activities (Lesslie et al.
1988). The more natural, and therefore the less disturbed, the better. This is
because the proximity to the natural conditions of a site influences the
survival chances of the native flora and fauna. Additional reasons for
assessing naturalness are tied to scientific considerations (undisturbed
ecosystems are needed to set a reference for assessing the changes that
affect disturbed ecosystems), as well as to emotional and recreational
benefits (Smith and Theberge 1986);
 Fragility. The degree of sensitivity of species or ecosystems to
environmental changes (Ratcliffe 1977). The more fragile they are, the
greater is the requirement for their protection. Fragility also relates to
naturalness in that the conservation of fragile ecosystems requires the
maintenance of a high degree of naturalness;
 Representativeness (or typicalness). A measure of how well a site
reflects all the habitats that are expected to occur in that
geographical region (Edwards-Jones et al. 2000). The more
representative a site is of a region, the better. The rationale behind it is
similar to the one of the diversity criterion: by protecting the most
representative sites we are more likely to preserve the total species and
habitat diversity of the region under considerations;

 Connectivity. A measure of how well the spatial distribution of the

natural areas supports the interactions among them. Such
interactions (nutrient flows, animal dispersal, etc.) in general allow the areas
to sustain a higher number of species and higher population densities.
Consequently, the higher the connectivity, the better.
Example: Wildlife crossing bridges
(https://mymodernmet.com/wildlife-crossings/) http://www.straits
times.com/singapore/environment/mandai-eco- link-how-w
ildlife-crossing-works
More information on The first animal bridges were
wildlife crossing bridges… built in France in the 1950s (*not
https://www.boredpanda.com/bridges-for- anim in the picture)
als-around-the-world/

#1 Crab Bridge On Christmas Island #3 Ecoduct In Banff National Park, Canada

#2 Wildlife Crossing In Belgium #4 A Rope Bridge Over The Hume Freeway

In Victoria
Educational value. A measure of the suitability for educational use of a
natural area. Such a suitability may be related to both its ecological features
(that, in turn, may be related to criteria such as rarity or representativeness)
and its accessibility (e.g., presence of roads, proximity to schools)

Scientific value. The degree of interest of a natural area in terms of current

or potential research. It may also be related to the extent to which a site has
been used for past research. Sites with good histories (e.g., description of
ecosystems’ dynamics in the past 50 years) are more valuable to science
because they enhance our understanding of ecology (Edwards-Jones et al.
2000)

Recreational value. A measure of the relevance of a natural area as a

place to be visited or seen by the general public. It is assessed by
considering its accessibility, visual attractiveness, facilities, etc.
END of
LectureYOU!
THANK
Supplementary Notes
Maximizing benefits for biodiversity: the potential
of enhancement strategies in impact assessment

Asha Rajvanshi , Susie Brownlie , Roel Slootweg PhD & Roshni Arora

To cite this art icle: Asha Rajvanshi, Susie Brownlie , Roel Slootweg PhD & Roshni
A rora (2011) Maximizing benefits for biodiversity: the potential of enhancement
strategies in impact assessment, Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 29:3, 181-
193, DOI: 10.3 152/146 155111X12959673796245

To link t o t his article: h tt p://dx.doi.or g/ 10.3 152/146 155 111X12959673796245

m Published online: 20 Feb 2012.

•
The potential of enhancement strategies in impact assessment

The reviews of impact assessment studies to date suggest that biodiversity

considerations are inadequately addressed in impact assessment (e.g.
Treweek, 2001; Slootweg et al, 2010).

In the specific context of impact assessment, enhancement means to look

for ways of optimizing environmental benefits (e.g. UNEP, 2006) or going
beyond mitigation in order to make a net positive contribution of
development to the environment.
The potential of enhancement strategies in impact assessment
Enhancement measures can be incorporated in the following three
ways during the planning, impact assessment and implementation
process:

i. Proactively by continually seeking opportunities to improve

upon, and make a positive difference to the receiving
environment iteratively through the design and
implementation of the proposed activity, the use of mitigation
hierarchy to facilitate the planning process

ii. Reactively by going beyond full compensation or no net loss

offsets to achieve net gain or net benefit for biodiversity.

iii. Actively through effective monitoring and evaluation of

implementation, and corrective and adaptive management to
get the most out of planned enhancement.
 Mitigation Hierarchy
The mitigation hierarchy is a set of prioritized steps to alleviate environmental
harm as far as possible through avoidance, minimization (or reduction) and
restoration of detrimental impacts to biodiversity. Biodiversity offsetting is only
considered to address residual impacts after appropriate avoidance,
minimization and restoration measures have been applied.
Enhancement measures should:
• Be applied in parallel with other compensation and enhancement
measures to encourage opportunities for synergy and limit
duplication of effort;
• Be incorporated into a project as an integral part of the design
process;
• Demonstrate clear net improvement or gains over pre-
development or baseline conditions;
• Contribute to benefits over and above actions that would have
happened anyway;
• Deliver verifiable biodiversity benefits based on accepted indicators of
biodiversity (e.g. structure, function and composition, valued
ecosystems, communities or species, the social, cultural or economic
value of biodiversity) that last beyond the project’s life; and
• Ensure that enhancement targets specific areas in which negative
impacts are experienced.
Enhancement actions should achieve one or more of the following
outcomes:

1. Better ecosystem management

• Better ecological management of existing natural areas.
• Increase in functionality of the existing site and resultant
increase in species and/or diversity of communities.
• Manipulation of a site to improve a specific ecosystem service,
without jeopardizing existing biodiversity or other ecosystem
services.
• Restoration of degraded areas as natural habitat.
• Active eradication of invasive alien species.

2.Improved protection
• Creation of new protected areas.
• Upgrading legal protection in existing habitats for improving
conservation prospects.
Enhancement actions should achieve one or more of the
following outcomes (cont.):

3. Enhanced areas for biodiversity conservation

• Establishment of dispersal corridors for better
interlinking of habitats to enhance ecological or
evolutionary processes.
• Establishment of habitat ‘stepping stones’ across the
landscape to link previously isolated fragments.
• Increase in buffer area to minimize negative ‘edge
effects’ and improve functionality.
• Establishment of supplementary or transitional habitats
where nature conservation is not the primary concern
(e.g. maintaining agricultural ecosystems as edges for
bird diversity).
Enhancement actions should achieve one or more of the following
outcomes (cont.):
4. Improved ecosystem services
• Improved protection, effective management and restoration (where
relevant) of key natural areas that deliver regulating and/or
supporting services.
• Improved protection of areas of cultural and natural heritage value.
• More or better ecosystem benefits through improved management
and conservation.
• Increased biological productivity through better management, not
jeopardizing the functioning and diversity of the ecosystem.
• Reduction in pressure on provisioning services through
introduction of more sustainable ways of using existing
natural resources and/or finding substitutes that better meet
needs.
• Increasing ecosystem resilience and ability to adapt to climate
change through conserving and restoring key ecosystems, and
• providing ecological corridors across climate and landscape
gradients to enable ongoing adaptation.
Conclusion
Importantly, ecological enhancement can contribute to
improving the resilience not only of the ecosystem or
biodiversity affected by development but, more
importantly, of the affected social– ecological system as
a whole; particularly where enhancement measures are
designed to improve the capacity of the ecosystem to
absorb change and external pressure, and by reducing
the risks of regime shifts that may in turn change the
ecosystem services delivered by that ecosystem, the
overall resilience of the social-ecological system may
benefit.
Critical Habitat
Critical Habitat represents areas of high
biodiversity value based on five criteria that
address habitat of significant importance to
threatened, endemic, congregatory and
migratory species, threatened or unique
ecosystems, and key evolutionary processes.
Further reading
Brauneder KM, Montes C, Blyth S, Bennun L, Butchart SHM, Hoffmann M,
et al. (2018). Global screening for Critical Habitat in the terrestrial realm.
PLoS ONE 13(3): e0193102.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193102
Critical habitat criteria and scenarios
Criteria and Description of biodiversity values
scenarios
Criterion 1 Habitat of significant importance to Critically Endangered
and/or Endangered species
Criterion 2 Habitat of significant importance to endemic and/or
restricted-range species
Criterion 3 Habitat supporting globally significant concentrations of
migratory species and/or congregatory species
Criterion 4 Highly threatened and/or unique ecosystems
Criterion 5 Areas associated with key evolutionary processes
Scenario A Other recognized high biodiversity values that might also
support a Critical Habitat designation
Scenario B Internationally and/or nationally recognized areas of high
biodiversity value that in general will likely qualify as Critical
Habitat
Thank You!