“Best Practice: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services” outlines best practices for considering biodiversity and ecosystem services in impact assessments. It emphasizes the need to protect and sustain biodiversity while ensuring that ecosystem services—such as clean water, food, and climate regulation—are integrated into development planning. The principles encourage early assessment, participatory decision-making, and the use of science-based approaches to minimize environmental harm. They also stress the importance of avoiding biodiversity loss, applying the mitigation hierarchy, and ensuring long-term monitoring and adaptation. By following these guidelines, impact assessments can support sustainable development and better environmental outcomes.
About Best Practice Principles Series
IAIA’s International Best Practice Principles series covers a variety of impact assessment topical areas, sharing best practices for practitioners.
