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Social Impact Assessment Guidelines for Thriving Regions and Communities

Environmental Monitoring and Governance

Available Online

These guidelines provide a practical approach to Social Impact Assessment (SIA). They are designed to help readers learn the basics about how to conduct an SIA, contribute to an SIA, use the results of an SIA, and judge if an SIA is fit for purpose. When writing the guidelines, we have assumed that readers may have little or no prior experience with SIA. The need for guidelines for SIA became apparent during our research with regional communities experiencing the social impacts of economic regeneration projects, including infrastructure, housing, irrigation, tourism and heritage conservation. During our work, we encountered many community leaders who were keen to learn how to assess the social impacts of the plans they design, how to take this information and use it to make decisions, and then, overtime, evaluate the outcomes for communities. When writing and testing the guidelines, we drew on our own professional expertise in SIA, and the experiences of potential guideline users including: community organisations, iwi members, central government agencies, local government economic development and planning professionals, infrastructure providers, sector groups, evaluation practitioners, consultancies, students, and academics. We also drew on the ideas of practitioners of SIA in conferences and training sessions1 , and other invaluable sources that are listed in the Annexes. SIA looks at the potential impacts of change proposal, focusing on who is affected, where and how, and what might be done to improve the results in the short, medium, and long-term. We expect that the guidelines will be useful for anyone proposing changes that affect people and communities, as well as those experiencing social impacts.

Using expert Knowledge and Field Surveys to Guide Management of an Invasive Alien Palm in a Pacific Island Lowland Rainforest

Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB

Available Online

Boehmer, H.J.

Dyer, M.J.B.

Keppel, G.

Tuiwawa, M.

Vido, S.

Watling, D.

Invasive alien ornamental plants are a global problem, especially on oceanic islands, and can have severe impacts on native biodiversity. Pinanga coronata, is an ornamental palm tree that can form mono-dominant stands in its native habitat and is widely cultivated throughout the tropics. Here we investigate the introduction, spread, impact and management of this invasive palm in the Fiji Islands, using extensive discussions with local experts and ?eld surveys. Pinanga coronata was introduced in the 1970s to the Colo-i-Suva area, eastern Viti Levu island, Fiji´s principal island, and has since become invasive in mahogany plantations and lowland rainforest. It has also been introduced and is becoming invasive on the western side of that island. However, the distribution of P. coronata remains geographically limited to the immediate vicinity of introduction sites but it is rapidly spreading. In each location, the species has formed mono-dominant stands in the understorey and appears to be displacing native plant species, as suggested by a negative correlation of its abundance with that of native tree ferns. This highlights the need for rapid control of P. coronata in Fiji. Local experts state management should involve manual removal of seedlings and saplings, killing of adult palms by injection of herbicide, and education and legislation to prevent the further spread of the species. Based on these recommendations and ?eld data, management actions to control P. coronata are proposed and steps to develop these into a management plan are discussed. Given P. coronata threatens native biodiversity in Fiji and has the potential to invade other rainforest ecosystems in the tropics, proposed management approaches are urgent and relevant for other tropical countries.

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