ifc’s performance standard 6: expectations for a good
TRANSCRIPT
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, PhDBiodiversity Consultant to IFC
April 2016
IFC Performance Standards2012
PS1: Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts
PS2: Labor and Working ConditionsPS3: Resource Efficiency and Pollution PreventionPS4: Community Health, Safety and SecurityPS5: Land Acquisition and Involuntary ResettlementsPS6: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable
Management of Living Natural ResourcesPS7: Indigenous PeoplesPS8: 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 PlantsFishesInvertebrates
-shrimp, crabs, molluscs-insects
PlanktonChlorophyl A
Along the water:Riparian plantsAquatic mammalsAmphibiansReptilesBirdsInvertebrates
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 AreaImportant 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
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 PlantsFishesInvertebrates
-shrimp, crabs, molluscs-insects
PlanktonChlorophyl A
Along the water:Riparian plantsAquatic mammalsAmphibiansReptilesBirds
Ecology of the Biodiversity Values: Species and Habitats
Which species migrate?Patterns and timingSeasonality
Where do species live, breed, feed, grow?
What is the abundance of species?How important is this area for them?
What are their life cycles?
Abundance of food sources
Associated Data:Flow rate, depth, turbidity, etc.Water quality parametersSediment regimesFlooding regimes
Ecosystem Services:How do people use the water, the plants, animals, etc. (e.g. rafting, fishing)
IFC Hydro projects conducted monthly fish and invertebrate samplingto assess distribution and seasonality, and to identify spawning andnursery habitats
Sampling in different seasons is important- high water, low water, rainy and dry seasons
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FK 5 FK 6 FK 7/SP5/Trib
FK 8 FK 9 FK 10
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Tor putitora (Mahaseer)
Cast Nets capture small fishHow to sample the large migrating fishes?
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 migration3) Spawning and nursery areas for fish4) Water quality index (aquatic invertebrates)
Priority Biodiversity ValuesSpecies• Threatened species (IUCN or Nepal CR, EN, VU)• Endemic species • Restricted Range species• Commercial species• Culturally valuable species• Species important for local peopleHabitats• 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 NepalFive fish species of conservation interest, all are migratory:
MahaseerTor putitora, IUCN and Nepal Endangered
SaharTor 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
KatliNeolissichilis 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
Principal Impacts from Hydropower Projects
Terrestrial habitat loss under reservoir
Reservoir: Loss of River habitat, Gain of Lake Habitat
Loss of aquatic habitat within project area and downstream
Barrier to fish, mammal and invertebrate passage and migration
Changes in water levels, flow rate and timing, flooding regimesbetween dam and powerhouse (dewatered segment) and downstream – changes to habitats
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
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
Hydrological/Hydraulic Methods
Methodologies to Determine Ecological Flow (EF)
Habitat Simulation / Holistic Methods
1960’s
Present
Example Baseline data for Eflow AssessmentDiscipline Indicators
Suspended sedimentsCoarse suspended sediment
Area of backwaters and secondary channels
Fine suspended sediment Vegetated mid-channel bars
GeomorphologyLow mid-channel rock exposures Depth of poolsLengths of cut marginal banks Sand barsBed sediment size (fine to coarse)
Water quality Nutrient concentration Temperature
VegetationDiatoms and algae TreesBryophyta Organic detritusGrasses and shrubs
Macroinvertebrates
Ephemeroptera ChironomidaeBivalves ShrimpsOligoneuridae Ceratopogonidae
Simulidae
Fish
Tigerfish, Hydrocynus vittatus Chessa and Nkupe, Distichodus sppCornish jack, Mormyrops anguilloides Labeo altivelisRedeye labeo, Labeo cylindricus Barbus spp.Alestids, i.e. Brycinus imberi, B. lateralisand Micralestes acutidens
Vundu, Heterobranchus longifilis
Cichlids Squeaker, Synodontis zambezensisCrocodiles Nile Crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus
Source: Cate Brown
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Plecoptera
Diptera
Macroinvertebrados
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Profundidad (m)
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EphemeropteraTrychopteraPlecopteraDipteraMacroinvertebrados
Preference Curves for aquatic organisms
The mitigation hierarchy is a tool to help manage risk. It provides a framework for steps to be taken throughout a development project’s life-cycle to limit negative impacts to workers, affected communities, and the environment.
1. Avoid Impacts2. Minimize impacts3. Restore conditions (abate, rectify, repair)4. Where residual impacts remain Offset impacts
PS6 requires projects to apply the Mitigation Hierarchy
Mitigation- need a good baselineA combination of the following measures is best: • Avoid through careful dam siting, design and operation• Minimise upstream/downstream effects with appropriate
Environmental Flows, fish passages (ladders etc.)• Restore through improved species, habitat or catchment
management, fish hatcheries • Offset residual impacts through off-site action
Monitoring• Field methods for monitoring are often different than
those for baseline assessment:– Baseline requires a variety of methods to document as
much biodiversity as possible, specialists needed– Monitoring requires standardized methods that can be
repeated over time, often by non-specialists– Monitoring data must be compared over time
• Monitoring requires focused questions and specific metrics to determine: – Is the project achieving No Net Loss or Net Gain?– Are the mitigation actions working to reduce impacts on
the indicators?
• Select indicators to represent overall biodiversity– Should include all Priority Biodiversity Values
Metrics to demonstrate No Net Loss of Biodiversity or Net Gain
• Example metric for Mahaseer (Tor putitora):– #fish/100 cast net throws/unit area = Catch per Effort
(CUE)– Biomass (weight)/100 cast net throws/unit area– Compare this metric each year to pre-project baseline to
demonstrate No Net Loss (targets, thresholds)– Net Gain requires demonstrating increase in the metric
• Other metrics: – Area of aquatic habitat (hectares)- satellite imagery– Water quality indices– Habitat Quality indices– Pressure indicators: reduction in threats to the species
(e.g. reduction in fishing pressure)
Summary:Hydropower projects need good Aquatic
Biodiversity data for PS6 to:
• Determine Modified or Natural Habitat– Biodiversity values (species composition, habitats)– Ecological functions (migration, spawning, etc.)
• Determine Critical Habitat• Assess project Impacts on Biodiversity Values• Evaluate Environmental Flow options• Develop Mitigation Actions to reduce impacts
(Biodiversity Management or Action Plan)• Monitor indicators to demonstrate compliance with PS6:
No Net Loss or Net Gain of Biodiversity