Institutional requirements for watershed cumulative effects assessment in the south Saskatchewan watershed
Date
2010-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
Type
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
Watersheds in Canada are under increasing threats due to the cumulative environmental
effects from natural and anthropogenic sources. Cumulative effect assessment (CEA),
however, if done at all is typically done on a project-by-project basis. This project-based
approach to CEA is not sufficient to address the cumulative effects of multiple stressors
in a watershed or a region. As a result, there is now a general consensus that CEA must
extend from the project to the more regional scale. The problem, however, is that while
the science of how to do watershed CEA (W-CEA) is progressing, the appropriate
institutional arrangements to sustain W-CEA have not been addressed. Based on a case
study of the South Saskatchewan Watershed (SSW), this research is aimed to identify the
institutional requirements necessary to support and sustain W-CEA.
The research methods include document reviews and semi-structured interviews with
regulators, administrators, watershed coordinators, practitioners, and academics
knowledgeable on cumulative effect assessment and project-based environmental
assessments (EAs). The findings from this research are presented thematically. First,
participants’ perspectives on cumulative effects, the current state of CEA practice, and
general challenges to project-based approaches to CEA are presented. The concept of WCEA
is then examined, with a discussion on the need for linking project-based CEA and
W-CEA. This is followed by the institutional requirements for W-CEA. The Chapter
concludes with foreseeable challenges to implementing W-CEA, as identified by research
participants.
The key findings include that cumulative effect assessments under project-based EAs are
rarely undertaken in the SSW, and the project-based EA approach is faced with
considerable challenges. The project-based EA challenges suggested by interview
participants are similar to the ones discussed in the literature, and are primarily related to
the lack of guidance to proponents regarding boundaries of assessments and thresholds,
the lack of data from other project EAs, and the lack of capacity of both proponents and
regulators to achieve a good CEA under project EA. These challenges could be addressed
by establishing regional objectives at a broader scale, which could provide better context
to project-based approaches. Further, interview results revealed several opportunities for
the government to take the lead in implementing and sustaining W-CEA, but a multistakeholder
approach is essential to W-CEA success. The results also suggest that the
establishments of thresholds and data management are necessary components of W-CEA,
but that the need for legislation concerning such thresholds and W-CEA initiatives is not
agreed upon. At the same time, research results emphasize that the coordination and
education among various stakeholders will be difficult to achieve. The lack of financial
commitment, political will, and difficulties in establishing cause-effect relationships
currently impede the implementation of W-CEA.
Description
Keywords
South Saskatchewan watershed, Cumulative effects, Cumulative effects assessment, Institutional arrangements, Project-based assessments
Citation
Degree
Master of Environment and Sustainability (M.E.S.)
Department
School of Environment and Sustainability
Program
School of Environment and Sustainability