Week 6 - People

3. Social Impacts

3.1. Why Conduct an SIA

Why do we need to conduct a SIA?

The following are some of the reasons for conducting a SIA:

  • SIA has the potential to identify local knowledge that could guide project siting decisions and reduce cost to companies that comes from poor siting decisions.
  • Better decisions can be made about which interventions should proceed and how they should proceed.
  • Mitigation measures can be implemented to minimise the harm and maximise the benefits from a specific planned intervention or related activity.
  • Reduces likely future costs in the form of litigation, delays to approval, managing protest actions or addressing violence against staff and/or property.
  • Enables a more sustainable and equitable biophysical and human environment.

The SIA process can begin with a preliminary SIA which is usually done prior to a full SIA. A preliminary SIA involves a desk-based research approach to gathering relevant data and information on project area, demographics, history, etc. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqhhERNeIYY