HIA of oil and gas projects:cumulative impacts

Martin BirleySalim Vohra

Balsam Ahmad

Content

ObjectionsRole of IAWater scarcity and waterborne diseasesClimate change and general morbidity

Objections to advertised paperToo specific– Excess secrecy

Too general

Role of impact assessment?Complicity with clientComplacency about impactsChallenge to client groupthink

Cumulative impacts and policy

Cumulative impacts

Policy/strategy vacuum

Water scarcity

river

villages

irrigation

Oil fields

Reducing domestic water supplyIncreasing waterborne diseasesIncreasing cost of water– Poverty– Inequality

Climate change

Global cumulative impact>150,000 annual deaths globallyWithin lifetime of new projectsDenialUrgent

Safe

Oct 2011

National climate change impacts vary – Middle East example

Increasing water scarcityTemperature extremesReduced food supplySea flooding

Corporate climate change policies

Acknowledge issue?Propose mitigation?Monitor and report?

Independent evaluation?

Conclusions

Excessive secrecy Challenge v complicityCumulative impacts poorly managed/ policy vacuum– Water management– Climate change management

• Denial, urgency, acknowledgement, delivery

End