Azura-Edo Independent Power Plant Environmental Impact ... - IFC

A Moderate Magnitude Impact affects a portion of a population and may bring about a change
in abundance and/or distribution over one or more generations*, but does not threaten the
integrity of that population or any population dependent on it. A moderate magnitude impact
may also affect the ecological functioning of a site, habitat or ecosystem but without adversely
affecting its overall integrity. The area affected is also important.
A Low Magnitude Impact affects a specific group of localised individuals within a population
over a short time period (one generation* or less) but does not affect other trophic levels or the
population itself.
* These are generations of the animal / plant species under consideration not human generations. It should
be noted that the restoration potential of an affected habitat also needs to be considered in applying the
above criteria.
The assessment of impact magnitude needs to consider each of these factors.
It is important to acknowledge that the scale of magnitude (from small to
large) is in practice a continuum, and evaluation along the spectrum requires
the exercise of careful professional judgement and experience. Each impact is
evaluated on a case by case basis, and the rationale is explicitly described in
the analysis of each impact.
7.2.4 Sensitivity of Resources and Receptors
The significance of an impact of a given magnitude will depend on the
sensitivity of resources and receptors to that impact. For ecological impacts,
sensitivity can be assigned as low, medium or high based on the conservation
importance of habitats and species. For habitats, these are based on
naturalness, extent, rarity, fragility, diversity and importance as a community
resource.
For the sensitivity of individual species, Table 7.2 presents the criteria for
deciding on the value or sensitivity of individual species (1) . This approach
follows the guidelines produced by the Energy and Biodiversity Initiative
(EBI) (2003) (2) .
(1) The above criteria should be applied with a degree of caution. Seasonal variations and species lifecycle stage should be
taken into account when considering species sensitivity. For example, a population might be deemed as more sensitive
during the breeding/spawning and nursery periods.
(2) Energy & Biodiversity Initiative, Integrating Biodiversity into Oil & Gas Development, 2003 - A framework formed by
several leading oil and gas companies working alongside conservation organisations to form a partnership designed to
produce practical guidelines, tools and models to improve the environmental performance of energy operations, reduce
harm to biodiversity, and maximise opportunities for conservation wherever oil and gas resources are developed.
AZURA EDO IPP
7-8
DRAFT EIA REPORT