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Dams and Development E-Paper Contents

p. 32 of 74 BACK | NEXT Home Page of Dams and Development Foreword I. Why an e-paper on dams and development? II. Assessing options III. Participatory processes IV. Social impacts V. Environmental impacts Strategic environmental assessment International environmental conventions Environmental flows Cumulative impacts Cultural assessments Health assessments Greenhouse gas emissions Mitigation measures Hydropower industry's approach What do ADB policies say? VI. Benefit distribution VII. Dam safety and sustainability VIII. Existing projects IX. Improving governance X. What other organizations say XI. ADB, Dams, and Development XII. References Contact Us

Assessing cumulative impacts - taking a basin approach

Cumulative impact assessment is an extension of project-level assessment.

In relation to dam projects, it is a tool that promotes a basin-wide perspective both in space and time, by examining the interactions between projects within the same river system and predicting how those impacts will be affected in the future once other projects that could reasonably be expected are implemented.

As with project-level assessment, the results can influence the selection of options, contribute to designs that avoid or minimize impacts and help to design mitigation measures.

Beyond that, the cumulative assessment can inform decision-makers on setting thresholds of impacts in a basin to act as a guide for future developments.

ADB requirements for cumulative impact assessment are laid down in its environmental policy although internal discussion is ongoing and may shortly modify these provisions.

For further information see:

• US Council on Environmental Quality - Handbook on Cumulative Effects
• World Commission on Dams - assessment of cumulative impacts
• International Energy Agency on cumulative impacts

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