Adaptive, participatory and integrated assessment (APIA) approach for impact assessments for inland fisheries

Abstract

Improved' impact assessment tool that takes full account of production and livelihood impacts of modified river flows along with the traditional assessment of ecological impacts, and the interactions between these. It builds upon commonly used frameworks for Environmental Impact Assessments but places particular emphasis on a holistic assessment that is integrated across disciplinary perspectives and sectoral interests. It relies on participation by stakeholders for the capture of local knowledge, for identification and resolution of critical issues and conflicts of interest and for generation of management recommendations that will command broad-based support and local 'ownership'.

Assessment of APIA as a tool was done in KirindiOya Irrigation and Settlement Project (KOISP), a major agricultural development scheme in the dry zone of Sri Lanka.