Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Biodiversity loss continues worldwide and one of the ways to reduce it could be Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA). However, present biodiversity consideration in EIAs has lacks. Thus
this thesis aims at investigating this problem worldwide and with a focus on Sweden. The main
inconsistencies found are Sweden’s problem with article 14 of Convention on Biological
Diversity; the general confusion with biodiversity definition used by EU, national legislation and
EIAs, as there is no single one; and the variety of frameworks used in treating biodiversity in
EIA processes. It is argued here for a new framework to be applied in EIAs, which is presented
as biodiversity concept matrix with 4 levels (landscape, ecosystem, species and genetic diversity)
and 3 attributes of biodiversity (composition, structure and processes). The purpose of this
matrix is to be a common tool, which would help to properly present and evaluate biodiversity
during the EIA process and which could be used by all EIA participants. Ljusne harbour project
in the municipality of Söderhamn, Sweden was chosen to test this framework in practise. Besides
this, interviews have been conducted among people working with EIAs within different
organisations in Sweden in order to reflect their opinion on biodiversity consideration in EIA
processes. The knowledge collected from the Ljusne harbour project and interviewees suggest
that biodiversity matrix could be the missing instrument for a proper biodiversity consideration
in EIA processes.