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Bioenergy Environmental Impact Analysis (BIAS): Analytical Framework

Year of publication 2010

Author Land and Water Division

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Series title Environment and Natural Resources Management Working Paper

Series number 9789251071502|2226-6062

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The Bioenergy Impact Assessment (BIAS) framework summarizes the major issues related to impact and process based environmental assessments related to bioenergy development and attempts to bring together and evaluate the best available, tested and untested methodologies. It is part of a larger effort of FAO to facilitate decisions at various levels that take their wider impact into consideration, above all their impact on food security (BEFS project) and the environment (BIAS). In an area of fast development, many investment and land use decisions have already been taken, often in a vaguely defined policy environment and without due consideration of environmental consequences. This framework is intended as a step towards practical decision making tools and to perhaps serve as a benchmark or reference for new methodologies, other evaluation approaches and for future standards development. The main chapters examine methodological options and their limitations for: GIS applications , risk assessment, water and soil quality, quantity and availability, CBD processes, protected areas, land use changes and GHG. They also examine current databases and platforms that discuss these issues, like: UN-Energy, GBEP, RSB and other roundtables, and the efforts of other institutions and organizations like: EEA, IEA, IUCN, WWF and others. Newer or still untested methodologies as well as data availability are also discussed. Considerable work remains to fill the data gaps and underst anding or measuring of interactions with for example food security, poverty and other rural development processes. The basic approach in view of highly complex and uncertain interactions and developments is one of precaution and of avoiding areas of development where impact is uncertain and to concentrate on reducing risk, better utilization of already exploited resources and recuperation of degraded resources. To that effect, methods for evaluation and bridging knowledge gaps have been sugge sted. Follow up to this framework is envisioned in the form of further testing of the framework, expanding collaboration on the subject, filling some of the gaps, assisting in its application and integration into standard setting and other areas of agriculture.

Language English

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