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Module 5 Step 2: What are the consequences for the environment and people?
5 Presentation and discussion

With an understanding of what is happening to the environment and why, attained through Step 1,
the second question to address in the IEA is: What are the consequences for the environment and
humanity? or, more simply stated, what are the impacts?”
9-12 December, 2013 For purposes of this training module, this second step has been separated into three different levels

of training:
Basic analysis (Section 6.1): For groups or individuals conducting an IEA for the first time, specific
?
impacts can be identified based on intuition and on data, which provide an understanding of
what is happening to the environment and why. An understanding of environment/development
linkages, as applied to a given context, may be sufficient to perform the analysis.

? Intermediate analysis (Section 6.2): Those who have previous experience with IEA methods
might identify impacts to changes in various states of the environment, using the concepts of
ecosystem services and aspects of human well-being, which have been adopted in GEO-4.

? Advanced analysis (Section 6.3): Groups familiar with concepts of ecosystem services and
having some experience with economic analysis may identify specific monetary costs and
benefits resulting from changes in ecosystem services and human well-being. (Note that this
training session offers only an introductory exposure to environmental valuation or full-cost
accounting.)

5.1 Basic analysis: Identifying impacts based on an understanding of sustainable
development

Changes in a particular state variable have an impact on other aspects of the environment and on the

well-being of people. Many of the important impacts can be identified through the experience and
knowledge of participants in an IEA.

For example, a change in forest cover for a particular region can have an impact on biodiversity of
that region. An impact on biodiversity could mean that a species particularly valuable as an ecotourism
resource no longer survives in the area. This could impact the ability of local residents to earn a

livelihood based on ecotourism. The loss in biodiversity could also mean that a particular plant species
upon which local residents relied for food or medicine resource can no longer thrive.

48 Integrated Analysis of Environmental Trends and Policies