IFC's Performance Standard 6: Expectations for a Good Baseline
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IFC’s Performance Standard 6: Expectations for a good baseline and adequate metrics for hydropower projects Presentation for Nepal workshop on Good International Industry Practices for Aquatic Biodiversity Baseline Determination and Monitoring Protocols Leeanne E. Alonso, PhD Biodiversity Consultant to IFC April 2016 IFC Performance Standards 2012 PS1: Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts PS2: Labor and Working Conditions PS3: Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention PS4: Community Health, Safety and Security PS5: Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlements PS6: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources PS7: Indigenous Peoples PS8: Cultural Heritage IFC’s Performance Standard 6 (PS6): Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources Objectives • To protect and conserve biodiversity • To maintain the benefits of ecosystem services • To promote the sustainable management of living natural resources through the adoption of practices that integrate needs and development priorities Aquatic Biodiversity In the water: Aquatic Plants Fishes Invertebrates -shrimp, crabs, molluscs -insects Plankton Chlorophyl A Along the water: Riparian plants Aquatic mammals Amphibians Reptiles Birds Invertebrates Need good Aquatic Biodiversity data for PS6 to: • Determine Modified or Natural Habitat – Biodiversity values (species composition) – Ecological functions • Determine Critical Habitat • Assess project Impacts on Priority Biodiversity Values • Evaluate Environmental Flow Options (Impacts and Mitigation) • Develop Mitigation Actions to reduce impacts • Monitor indicators to demonstrate compliance with PS6 First - Determine the Study Area Important PS6 requirement- beyond project footprint PS6 requires that the assessment of biodiversity values be conducted beyond the project footprint to include the surrounding area on an ecologically relevant scale. The study area should include biological communities and/or management issues that have more in common with those in the project footprint and with each other than they do with those in adjacent areas. Start with satellite imagery, vegetation maps and literature. For Hydropower projects, this means usually means Watershed Sanaga River: Example watershed In Cameroon Example Ecological Study Area for Watershed Example Terrestrial Ecological Study Area Modified or Natural Habitat Modified Habitat: areas with a large proportion of plant and/or animal species of non-native origin, and/or where human activity has modified an area’s ecological functions and species composition Natural Habitat: areas with viable assemblages of plant and/or animals species of largely native origin, and/or with little modification of ecological functions and species composition PS6: Modified and Natural Habitat • Modified Habitat: areas with a large proportion of plant and/or animal species of non-native origin, and/or where human activity has modified an area’s ecological functions and species composition • Natural Habitat: areas with viable assemblages of plant and/or animals species of largely native origin, and/or with little modification of ecological functions and species composition How much do dams create Modified Habitat? Natural Habitat: areas with viable assemblages of plant and/or animals species of largely native origin, and/or with little modification of ecological functions and species composition In Natural Habitat Project cannot convert or degrade Natural Habitat unless they demonstrate all the following: • No other viable alternatives within region exist for development of the project on modified habitat (Alternatives Analysis) • Consultation of views of stakeholders • Any conversion or degradation is mitigated according to the mitigation hierarchy Projects must achieve and demonstrate No Net Loss (NNL) of Biodiversity where feasible NNL= No change from the pre-project baseline Species Composition In the water: Aquatic Plants Fishes Invertebrates -shrimp, crabs, molluscs -insects Plankton Chlorophyl A Along the water: Riparian plants Aquatic mammals Amphibians Reptiles Birds Sampling methods for fish and invertebrates Ecology of the Biodiversity Values: Species and Habitats What is the abundance of species? How important is this area for them? Which species migrate? Patterns and timing Abundance of food sources Seasonality Where do species live, breed, feed, grow? What are their life cycles? Associated Data: Flow rate, depth, turbidity, etc. Water quality parameters Sediment regimes Flooding regimes Ecosystem Services: How do people use the water, the plants, animals, etc. (e.g. rafting, fishing) Sampling in different seasons is important- high water, low water, rainy and dry seasons IFC Hydro projects conducted monthly fish and invertebrate sampling to assess distribution and seasonality, and to identify spawning and nursery habitats Tor putitora (Mahaseer) 70 60 Cast Nets capture small fish How to sample the large migrating fishes? 50 40 March April May 30 June July 20 10 0 FK 1 FK 2 FK 3 FK 4/SP FK 5 FK 6 FK 7/SP FK 8 FK 9 FK 10 1/Trib 5/Trib Aquatic Biodiversity Data Must include: 1) Pre-project aquatic biodiversity baseline – Species lists – Map of aquatic habitat types (pools, riffles, channel, seasonally flooded areas, etc.) – Identification of threatened species – Assessment of regional/global importance – Relative abundance – Ecological requirements for species 2) Patterns of migration 3) Spawning and nursery areas for fish 4) Water quality index (aquatic invertebrates) Priority Biodiversity Values Species • Threatened species (IUCN or Nepal CR, EN, VU) • Endemic species • Restricted Range species • Commercial species • Culturally valuable species • Species important for local people Habitats • Unique habitats • Habitats with high biodiversity or unique species • Pristine ecosystems • Nursery or spawning areas (e.g. fishes) Processes • Migrations (upstream, lateral) • Ecological Connectivity • Gene Flow Some Priority Aquatic Biodiversity Values in Nepal Five fish species of conservation interest, all are migratory: Mahaseer Tor putitora, IUCN and Nepal Endangered Sahar Tor tor, IUCN Near Threatened, Nepal Endangered Snow trout (Buche asla) Schizothorax richardsonii, IUCN Vulnerable (VU) and Nepal VU Snow trout (Chuche asla) Schizothoraichthys progastus, IUCN Least Concern, Nepal VU Katli Neolissichilis hexagonolepis, IUCN Near Threatened and Nepal Endangered PS6: Critical Habitat Evaluate whether the project is located within Critical Habitat as defined by PS6, working with relevant experts Modified and Natural habitat may also be Critical Habitat, depending on the biodiversity values Critical Habitat: areas with high biodiversity value based on 5 Criteria: • Critically Endangered (CR) or Endangered (EN) species (IUCN Global Red List) • Endemic / restricted range species • Migratory and/or congregatory species with globally significant concentrations • Highly threatened (in the region) and/or regionally unique ecosystems • Key evolutionary processes In Critical Habitat, client cannot implement any project activities unless: • No other viable alternatives within the region exist in non-critical habitat (PS1: Alternatives Analysis) • The project does not lead to measurable adverse impacts on the biodiversity values that make it Critical Habitat • The project does not lead to a net reduction in the global and/or national/regional population of any CR or EN species • A robust long-term biodiversity monitoring and evaluation plan is integrated into management plans • Experts are involved to evaluate the biodiversity values and to design mitigation and offsets as needed Project must demonstrate Net Gain for Critical Habitat biodiversity values Net Gain = improvement for the biodiversity values, increase It may not be Critical Habitat But remember… • Natural Habitat requires No Net Loss of Biodiversity • Demonstrating No Net Loss of Biodiversity for Important Biodiversity Values is a big challenge Hydropower Principal Impacts from Hydropower Projects Terrestrial habitat loss under reservoir Reservoir: Loss of River habitat, Gain of Lake Habitat Barrier to fish, mammal and invertebrate passage and migration Changes in water levels, flow rate and timing, flooding regimes between dam and powerhouse (dewatered segment) and downstream – changes to habitats Loss of aquatic habitat within project area and downstream Impact Assessment- need a good baseline to: • Quantify hectares of Natural Habitat loss (Terrestrial and Aquatic) • Assess Quantitative or Qualitative impacts to each of the Priority Biodiversity Values – Assess separately by impact (e.g. reservoir, downstream flow, etc.) – Assess by project stage (construction, operation) – Need to assess how much we are losing in order to set targets for No Net Loss or Net Gain • Develop an Environmental Flow Assessment Impact Assessment – Operation, Karot Hydro Pakistan Environmental Flow Assessment • Modeling impacts based on hydrology, biological and social parameters • Use hydrological data and select ecologically- relevant flow indicators • Evaluates the present day condition river • Evaluates how the condition of the river could change under different HPP operational scenarios Methodologies to Determine Ecological Flow (EF) Hydrological/Hydraulic Methods 1960’s Habitat Simulation / Holistic Methods Present Example Baseline data for Eflow Assessment Discipline Indicators Area of backwaters and secondary Coarse suspended sediment Suspended