Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/1942/23865
Title: | Utilitarian framings of biodiversity shape environmental impact assessment in development cooperation | Authors: | Hugé, Jean Rochette, Anne-Julie Janssens de Bisthoven, Luc Dahdouh-Guebasa, Farid Koedam, Nico VANHOVE, Maarten |
Issue Date: | 2017 | Source: | ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY, 75, p. 91-102 | Abstract: | Biodiversity is under threat from anthropogenic pressures, in particular in biodiversity-rich developing countries. Development cooperation actors, who traditionally focus on the improvement of socio-economic conditions in the South, are increasingly acknowledging the linkages between poverty and biodiversity, e.g. by referring to the ecosystem services framework. However, there are many different framings which stress the need for biodiversity integration and which influence how biodiversity and development are and/or should be linked. Moreover, there is a gap between the lip service paid to biodiversity integration and the reality of development cooperation interventions. This study analyses how biodiversity framings are reflected in environmental impact assessment (EIA) practice, and how these framings influence EIA and decision-making. The findings, based on an in-depth qualitative analysis of World Bank EIAs undertaken in West Africa, indicate the incoherent quality but also the dominance of the ‘utilitarian’ and ‘corrective’ framings, which respectively stress human use of nature and mitigation of negative unintended development impacts. Identifying and highlighting these discursive trends leads to increased awareness of the importance of biodiversity among all development actors in North and South. However, some framings may lead to an overly narrow human-centred approach which downplays the intrinsic value of biodiversity. This study proposes recommendations for an improved integration of biodiversity in development cooperation, including the need for more systematic baseline studies in EIAs. | Notes: | Huge, J (reprint author), Vrije Univ Brussel, Plant Biol & Nat Management APNA, Pl Laan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium jean.huge@ulb.ac.be | Keywords: | biodiversity; development cooperation; environmental impact assessment (EIA); Africa; baseline | Document URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1942/23865 | ISSN: | 1462-9011 | e-ISSN: | 1873-6416 | DOI: | 10.1016/j.envsci.2017.06.003 | ISI #: | 000407869500011 | Rights: | © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved | Category: | A1 | Type: | Journal Contribution | Validations: | ecoom 2018 |
Appears in Collections: | Research publications |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Second Submission__Env_Sci_Pol_8 Feb 2017.pdf | Peer-reviewed author version | 673.26 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
Second__Version_Tables__Env_Sci_Pol_8 Feb 2017 (2).pdf | Supplementary material | 780.78 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
1-s2.0-S1462901117301090-main.pdf Restricted Access | Published version | 298.71 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open Request a copy |
SCOPUSTM
Citations
4
checked on Sep 2, 2020
WEB OF SCIENCETM
Citations
11
checked on Sep 28, 2024
Page view(s)
74
checked on Sep 6, 2022
Download(s)
294
checked on Sep 6, 2022
Google ScholarTM
Check
Altmetric
Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.