Impact assessment in an era of complexity and challenge

Hot off the academic press: How can impact assessment engage more effectively with complexity, vulnerability and cumulative effects in an era that is pressuring people and ecosystems and stretching capacities for resilience?

Led by the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy'sKeith Barney, with our co-authors Rini AstutiSango Mahanty,Christina Griffin,Mira Käkönenand Simon West, our article in Annual Reviews  of Environment and Resources surveys current environmental assessment, cumulative impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment research and practice to argue that:
-social power relations need to be made more visible in impact assessments
-socio-ecological change is intertwined and impact assessment has a vital role to play in showing how
-where socio-political forces and environmental degradation intersect, vulnerabilities are compounded
-community agency offers an important and immediate means for impact assessment to better understand and respond to local needs
-Indigenous knowledge and local (situated) knowledge both offer ways for more inclusive and deliverative environmental regulation.

💡 It's a conceptual, rich read and we hope you enjoy it! Access the full article here.