Biodiversity in Environmental Assessment
Enhancing Ecosystem Services for Human Well-Being

First of its kind and unique in its blend of theoretical and practical approaches for mainstreaming biodiversity in impact assessment.

Roel Slootweg (Author), Asha Rajvanshi (Author), Vinod B. Mathur (Author), Arend Kolhoff (Author)

9780521888417, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 12 November 2009

456 pages, 1 b/w illus. 35 tables
23.5 x 15.6 x 2.6 cm, 0.84 kg

'… provides a good account of the EIA process that should be followed in managing natural resources … This is an easy to read and well-produced book … It would broaden the scope of students' knowledge base by providing the fundamentals of the EIA process as viewed in many countries.' Landscape Ecology

Human induced development activities are introduced with insufficient attention to their consequences for our living environment, even in cases where environmental assessments have been carried out. This apparent lack of attention to biodiversity in environmental assessment is rooted in the difficulties we have in adequately addressing biodiversity within the scope, time frame and budget allocated for assessments. This book provides a conceptual background and practical approaches to overcome these difficulties. It integrates the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, its ecosystem approach, and the conceptual framework of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment into a comprehensive approach to biodiversity in environmental assessment. It highlights the need to consider the value of biodiversity based on its use by each stakeholder, addresses the importance of both social and economic development to reach the Millennium Development Goals, and provides insights into ways to balance present and future needs.

Foreword Ahmed Djoghlaf (the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity)
Preface
1. Introduction Roel Slootweg, Asha Rajvanshi, Vinod B. Mathur and Arend Kolhoff
2. Interpretation of biodiversity Roel Slootweg
3. Biodiversity conservation and development: challenges for impact assessment Asha Rajvanshi and Vinod B. Mathur
4. The impact assessment framework Roel Slootweg and Peter P. Mollinga
5. Environmental assessment Arend Kolhoff, Bobbi Schijf, Rob Verheem and Roel Slootweg
6. Biodiversity in environmental impact assessment Asha Rajvanshi, Vinod B. Mathur and Roel Slootweg
7. Biodiversity-inclusive strategic environmental assessment Roel Slootweg
8. Reconciling conservation and development: the role of biodiversity offsets Asha Rajvanshi and Vinod B. Mathur
9. Valuation of ecosystem services: lessons from influential cases Pieter J. H. van Beukering and Roel Slootweg
Epilogue - issues in need of further exploration Roel Slootweg, Asha Rajvanshi, Vinod B. Mathur and Arend Kolhoff
References
Annex: valuation of ecosystem services: influential cases Pieter J.H. van Beukering, Roel Slootweg and Desirée Immerzeel.

Subject Areas: Sustainable agriculture [TVF], Conservation of the environment [RNK], Environmental management [RNF], Applied ecology [RNC]