Department of Geography, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Environ Manage. 2022 Jun;69(6):1202-1216. doi: 10.1007/s00267-022-01639-2. Epub 2022 Apr 8.
Biodiversity offsets are increasingly adopted to mitigate the negative impacts of development activities on biodiversity. However, in practice, there are inconsistencies in how biodiversity offsets are understood and implemented. Based on interviews with environmental practitioners, the study sought to explore the conceptual understanding of biodiversity offsets among personnel involved in the design and implementation of offset schemes in Uganda. The study employed a 'technical use analysis' to seek personal interpretation and operationalization of the concept of biodiversity offsets. The results revealed that the concept tends to be simplified and adjusted to individual, project, and country contexts. The respondents had varied perceptions of biodiversity offsets in practice as compared to the theoretical concept. Biodiversity offsets were classified under five terms: trade-offs, payments, substitutes, compensations, and mitigation measures. The terms were derived from perceived inability of the measure to attain no net loss, and similarities of biodiversity components and services across impact and offset sites. Biodiversity offsets were thus considered no different from ordinary environmental conservation measures, contributing nothing unique to the conservation agenda. The study concludes that widespread implementation of biodiversity offsets under prevailing perceptions will escalate biodiversity loss. The study recommends emphasis on attaining no net loss through implementing outcome-based offsets as opposed to purpose-based offsets, that require delivering of 'no net loss' gains prior to projects being considered biodiversity offsets.
生物多样性补偿措施正被越来越多地采用，以减轻发展活动对生物多样性的负面影响。然而，在实践中，生物多样性补偿措施的理解和实施存在不一致。本研究基于对环境从业者的访谈，旨在探讨乌干达参与设计和实施补偿计划的人员对生物多样性补偿措施的概念理解。该研究采用“技术使用分析”来寻求个人对生物多样性补偿措施概念的解释和操作化。研究结果表明，该概念往往被简化并调整到个人、项目和国家的背景下。与理论概念相比，受访者在实践中对生物多样性补偿措施的看法存在差异。生物多样性补偿措施分为五个术语：权衡、支付、替代、补偿和缓解措施。这些术语是根据该措施无法实现净收益的感知能力以及影响和补偿地点的生物多样性成分和服务的相似性得出的。因此，生物多样性补偿措施与普通的环境保护措施没有什么不同，对保护议程没有任何独特的贡献。本研究得出的结论是，在目前的认知下广泛实施生物多样性补偿措施将加剧生物多样性的丧失。研究建议强调通过实施基于结果的补偿措施来实现净收益，而不是基于目的的补偿措施，后者要求在项目被视为生物多样性补偿措施之前实现“净收益”的收益。
