Biodiversity Sensitivity and Risk Mapping
The first step of the mitigation hierarchy is to avoid impacts to biodiversity. Effective spatial planning is key to this, and can help guide site selection towards the areas with lowest biodiversity sensitivity. Biodiversity sensitivity and risk mapping is a valuable tool which can be used to support spatial planning. It is a data-driven approach, combining information on attributes such as the location of protected areas, sensitive habitats (such as mangroves, seagrass meadows and coral reefs for an offshore wind project), and the distribution of sensitive species (such as marine mammals, seabirds, sharks and rays) to map areas of high and low sensitivity. These maps can be combined with assessments of social sensitivities and an understanding of technical constraints to identify areas for the development of projects, e.g. renewable energy projects, that balance environmental and social risk with technical requirements.
When carried out at an early stage, biodiversity sensitivity and risk mapping can provide valuable insights to regulators, developers and investors by highlighting the key potential threats projects may pose to biodiversity. This enables stakeholders to make informed decisions in relation to resource allocation and project resilience, and to understand the likely mitigation requirements associated with planned projects. Access to this information at an early stage can help to de-risk projects and investments.
We have extensive experience in biodiversity sensitivity and risk mapping for offshore and onshore renewable energy development and other types of infrastructure. We have developed guidance on Integrated Environmental & Social Sensitivity Mapping (SenMap) for offshore wind in collaboration with the World Bank Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP); this guidance has been applied to multiple countries worldwide, including Vietnam, the Philippines, India and Sri Lanka. We have also worked with national governments to support strategic environmental assessments for onshore wind energy, such as in Kenya and with investors to identify preferred sites for wind farm development.
Our experts would be happy to discuss any sensitivity and risk mapping needs you may have, please contact us.
