1. Integrating Climate Change into Environmental Impact Assessments Victor Bullen, AEC Teresa Bernhard, E3 BEO Ashley King, E3 GCC Allison Brown, DCHA

2. Terms Climate Change Adaptation- an adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. Mitigation (climate change)- with respect to climate change, the effort of reducing or avoiding emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) that cause climate change. Mitigation (ESIA)-with respect to Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, the Risk (climate change)- a combination of the magnitude of the potential consequence(s) of climate change impact(s) and the likelihood that the consequence(s) will occur to the activity Vulnerability (climate change)- Vulnerability is the degree to which a system is susceptible to, or unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate change, including climate variability and extremes. Vulnerability is a function of the character, magnitude, and rate of climate variation to which a system is exposed, its sensitivity, and its adaptive capacity Impact (ESIA)- An impact for an ESIA is a change from the baseline due to the project and its connected actions. This includes consideration of susceptibility considerations as well as scope, magnitude, likelihood, permanence and duration of the change. I

3. CEQ Thoughts on Climate Change in EIA NEPA, which Reg 216 must fulfill, recognizes “the profound impact of man’s activity on the interrelations of all components of the natural environment.” (42 U.S.C. § 4331). It was enacted to, inter alia, “promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare of man.” (42 U.S.C. § 4321 “Climate change is a fundamental environmental issue, and the relation of Federal actions to it falls squarely within NEPA’s focus.” (CEQ Climate Change Guidance) “Agencies should consider the following when addressing climate change: (1) the potential effects of a proposed action on climate change as indicated by its GHG emissions; and (2) the implications of climate change for the environmental effects of a proposed action.” (CEQ Climate Change Guidance)

4. Executive Order 13677: Climate-Resilient International Development “requires the integration of climate-resilience considerations into all United States international development work” – Assess and evaluate climate risks and vulnerabilities – Adjust strategies and investments – Support vulnerable countries This does not require direct climate change funds http://www.globalchange.gov/browse/federal- adaptation-resources/executive-orders-and- policies &gl=us VIDEO: What is Climate Risk Management? The link: https://vimeo.com/144896291https://vimeo.com/144896291 Password: gcc The EO 13677 uses the USAID ESIA process (Reg 216) to implement and track the requirements of the EO.

5. EO and Reg 216 Environment Project Design EO “Adaptation” Reg 216 “Mitigation” Both Reg 216 and EO 13677 require early and frequent consideration during project design

6. Reg 216 EIA Increasing risk/impact Increasing level of assessment detail Most activities are cleared with: Request for Categorical Exclusion Initial environmental examination Activities specified by the regulation as having minimal environmental impact A much shorter, simpler version of a full EIA study Full Environmental Assessment The most detailed examination of impacts Requires a professional team, 2+ person months Reg 216 specifies that an IEE must reach 1 of 2 decisions: Positive determination, (significant impacts likely, do full EA) Negative determination, (no significant impacts, proceed with activity)

7. Basic IEE/EA outline 1.Background & Activity Description Purpose & Scope of IEE Background Description of activities 2. Country & Environmental information Locations affected, Specific habitat, communities and alternatives National environmental policies and procedures 3. Evaluation of potential environmental impacts 4. Recommended threshold decisions and mitigation actions Recommended threshold decisions and conditions Mitigation, monitoring & evaluation USAID Categories – Initial Environmental Examination/Environmental Assessment Note: Each section of the outline should have a separate narrative on climate related information and clearly identified information required for EO 13677.

8. Data for EO 13677 Compliance The Reg 216 document must identify: – Baseline climate and weather conditions – Climate impacts to and from the project – Mitigation measures done to adapt to climate change and how those mitigation measures will reduce the impacts/risks to the project – Climate Risk Rating (high, moderate, low)

9. Climate Risk Management Varies According to the Program Cycle Phase Document

10. Climate in the Impact Evaluation Process Define Activities Characterize these elements of the baseline Define the potential impacts and their significance Determine impacts of significance 10 Given: 1.the baseline conditions, 2.the project concept/design, and 3.How the adverse impacts arise, decide those impacts to mitigate and the mitigation measures 1 5 4 2 3

11. Understanding the Project A key to understanding the project is to systematically outline all the aspects of a project including: – Activities performed by others but are critical to the success of the project – Activities that can only succeed if your project is completed These activities may have a significant impact on or be impacted by the environment, including impacts of climate. 1

12. Characterizing climate change baseline conditions… The resources of interest are dynamic. Examine the resources by looking at: Time and location of the resource likely to be affected by your activity upon which your activity depends for its success Water?Quantity, quality, reliability, accessibility, flow, sea level rise Soils?Erosion, crop productivity, fallow periods, salinity, nutrient concentrations Flora?Composition and density of natural vegetation, productivity, key species Fauna?Populations, habitat, Health? Disease vectors, pathogens Changes to seasons, extreme events (storms, flooding, temperature), rainfall, temperature Weather Climate? Social?Livelihoods, migration, cultural heritage and resources Use existing information such as those found in databases, vulnerability assessments, and country profiles. 2

13. Types of impacts and their attributes Direct and indirect impacts Short-term and long-term impacts Adverse and beneficial impacts Cumulative impacts The EIA process is concerned with all types of impacts and may describe them in a number of ways. Consider how a project may impact climate and may be impacted by climate  Intensity  Duration  Direction  Spatial extent  Frequency  Reversibility  Probability 3

14. Determining Significance- A Collective Discussion Examples of Significant Impacts may be those that: – Can not be reversed- Contamination of air, waterways or groundwater Destruction or disturbance of habitat – Adversely impact health – Cause a population of flora or fauna to be in jeopardy – Continue a population’s decline – Remove, destroy and fail replace/restore cultural resources, heritage, tribal grounds, livelihoods 4

15. Mitigation and Monitoring Avoid, Minimize, Mitigate- Rehabilitate and Compensate Change siting Change design Reconsider objective Change operation Implementation and Effectiveness Verifies implementation Measurable Corresponds to impacts – May need to be a proxy Consider location, timing and frequency 5 The project design team must balance the risk/impact mitigation measures- Practice and document risk management

16. Mitigation/Adaptation 5

17. Some Tools and Resources for Climate Change Issues  Climate Resilient Development Framework and it's Vulnerability Assessment Annex  Reg 216 small scale guidelines at USAIDGEMS.org  Climatelinks.org  SERVIR system uses satellite imagery and other data for environmental management and disaster support  E3’s Global Climate Change Team can help – http://inside.usaid.gov/EGAT/off- esp/techareas/climate_change/overview/index.html http://inside.usaid.gov/EGAT/off- esp/techareas/climate_change/overview/index.html

18. Small Group Exercise, Integrating Climate Change into Scoping – Review USAID Sector Environmental Guidelines: http://www.usaidgems.org/sectorGuidelines.htm http://www.usaidgems.org/sectorGuidelines.htm  Climate change section, page 9, from the Chapter on Small Scale Construction – Apply the CC issues raised to the school construction case study  What significant environmental issues related to CC might be included in the scoping exercise?  Adapting to climate change by minimizing vulnerability through project design?  Minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and maximizing sequestration?  Potential direct, indirect and cumulative impacts?