Critical Uncertainties and Gaps in the Environmental-and Social-Impact Assessment of the Proposed Interoceanic Canal through Nicaragua

Jorge A. Huete-Perez; Manuel Ortega-Hegg; Gerald R. Urquhart; Alan P. Covich; Katherine Vammen; Bruce Rittmann; Julio C. Miranda; Sergio Espinoza-Corriols; Adolfo Acevedo; María L. Acosta; Juan P. Gómez; Michael T. Brett; William Hanemann; Andreas Härer; Jaime Incer-Barquero; Frank J. Joyce; J. Wesley Lauer; Jean Michel Maes; Mason B. Tomson; Axel Meyer; Salvador Montenegro-Guillen; W. Lindsay Whitlow; Jerald L. Schnoor; Pedro J.J. Alvarez

doi:10.1093/biosci/biw064

Critical Uncertainties and Gaps in the Environmental-and Social-Impact Assessment of the Proposed Interoceanic Canal through Nicaragua

Jorge A. Huete-Perez, Manuel Ortega-Hegg, Gerald R. Urquhart, Alan P. Covich, Katherine Vammen, Bruce Rittmann, Julio C. Miranda, Sergio Espinoza-Corriols, Adolfo Acevedo, María L. Acosta, Juan P. Gómez, Michael T. Brett, William Hanemann, Andreas Härer, Jaime Incer-Barquero, Frank J. Joyce, J. Wesley Lauer, Jean Michel Maes, Mason B. Tomson, Axel MeyerSalvador Montenegro-Guillen, W. Lindsay Whitlow, Jerald L. Schnoor, Pedro J.J. Alvarez

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

The proposed interoceanic canal will connect the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean, traversing Lake Nicaragua, the major freshwater reservoir in Central America. If completed, the canal would be the largest infrastructure-related excavation project on Earth. In November 2015, the Nicaraguan government approved an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the canal. A group of international experts participated in a workshop organized by the Academy of Sciences of Nicaragua to review this ESIA. The group concluded that the ESIA does not meet international standards; essential information is lacking regarding the potential impacts on the lake, freshwater and marine environments, and biodiversity. The ESIA presents an inadequate assessment of natural hazards and socioeconomic disruptions. The panel recommends that work on the canal project be suspended until an appropriate ESIA is completed. The project should be resumed only if it is demonstrated to be economically feasible, environmentally acceptable, and socially beneficial.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	632-645
Number of pages	14
Journal	BioScience
Volume	66
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw064
State	Published - Aug 1 2016

Keywords

Lake Nicaragua
Nicaragua
environmental impacts
interoceanic canal
social impacts

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

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10.1093/biosci/biw064

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Huete-Perez, J. A., Ortega-Hegg, M., Urquhart, G. R., Covich, A. P., Vammen, K., Rittmann, B., Miranda, J. C., Espinoza-Corriols, S., Acevedo, A., Acosta, M. L., Gómez, J. P., Brett, M. T., Hanemann, W., Härer, A., Incer-Barquero, J., Joyce, F. J., Wesley Lauer, J., Maes, J. M., Tomson, M. B., ... Alvarez, P. J. J. (2016). Critical Uncertainties and Gaps in the Environmental-and Social-Impact Assessment of the Proposed Interoceanic Canal through Nicaragua. BioScience, 66(8), 632-645. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw064

Huete-Perez, JA, Ortega-Hegg, M, Urquhart, GR, Covich, AP, Vammen, K, Rittmann, B, Miranda, JC, Espinoza-Corriols, S, Acevedo, A, Acosta, ML, Gómez, JP, Brett, MT, Hanemann, W, Härer, A, Incer-Barquero, J, Joyce, FJ, Wesley Lauer, J, Maes, JM, Tomson, MB, Meyer, A, Montenegro-Guillen, S, Lindsay Whitlow, W, Schnoor, JL & Alvarez, PJJ 2016, 'Critical Uncertainties and Gaps in the Environmental-and Social-Impact Assessment of the Proposed Interoceanic Canal through Nicaragua', BioScience, vol. 66, no. 8, pp. 632-645. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw064

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title = "Critical Uncertainties and Gaps in the Environmental-and Social-Impact Assessment of the Proposed Interoceanic Canal through Nicaragua",

abstract = "The proposed interoceanic canal will connect the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean, traversing Lake Nicaragua, the major freshwater reservoir in Central America. If completed, the canal would be the largest infrastructure-related excavation project on Earth. In November 2015, the Nicaraguan government approved an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the canal. A group of international experts participated in a workshop organized by the Academy of Sciences of Nicaragua to review this ESIA. The group concluded that the ESIA does not meet international standards; essential information is lacking regarding the potential impacts on the lake, freshwater and marine environments, and biodiversity. The ESIA presents an inadequate assessment of natural hazards and socioeconomic disruptions. The panel recommends that work on the canal project be suspended until an appropriate ESIA is completed. The project should be resumed only if it is demonstrated to be economically feasible, environmentally acceptable, and socially beneficial.",

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AU - Huete-Perez, Jorge A.

AU - Ortega-Hegg, Manuel

AU - Urquhart, Gerald R.

AU - Covich, Alan P.

AU - Vammen, Katherine

AU - Rittmann, Bruce

AU - Miranda, Julio C.

AU - Espinoza-Corriols, Sergio

AU - Acevedo, Adolfo

AU - Acosta, María L.

AU - Gómez, Juan P.

AU - Brett, Michael T.

AU - Hanemann, William

AU - Härer, Andreas

AU - Incer-Barquero, Jaime

AU - Joyce, Frank J.

AU - Wesley Lauer, J.

AU - Maes, Jean Michel

AU - Tomson, Mason B.

AU - Meyer, Axel

AU - Montenegro-Guillen, Salvador

AU - Lindsay Whitlow, W.

AU - Schnoor, Jerald L.

AU - Alvarez, Pedro J.J.

PY - 2016/8/1

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N2 - The proposed interoceanic canal will connect the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean, traversing Lake Nicaragua, the major freshwater reservoir in Central America. If completed, the canal would be the largest infrastructure-related excavation project on Earth. In November 2015, the Nicaraguan government approved an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the canal. A group of international experts participated in a workshop organized by the Academy of Sciences of Nicaragua to review this ESIA. The group concluded that the ESIA does not meet international standards; essential information is lacking regarding the potential impacts on the lake, freshwater and marine environments, and biodiversity. The ESIA presents an inadequate assessment of natural hazards and socioeconomic disruptions. The panel recommends that work on the canal project be suspended until an appropriate ESIA is completed. The project should be resumed only if it is demonstrated to be economically feasible, environmentally acceptable, and socially beneficial.

AB - The proposed interoceanic canal will connect the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean, traversing Lake Nicaragua, the major freshwater reservoir in Central America. If completed, the canal would be the largest infrastructure-related excavation project on Earth. In November 2015, the Nicaraguan government approved an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the canal. A group of international experts participated in a workshop organized by the Academy of Sciences of Nicaragua to review this ESIA. The group concluded that the ESIA does not meet international standards; essential information is lacking regarding the potential impacts on the lake, freshwater and marine environments, and biodiversity. The ESIA presents an inadequate assessment of natural hazards and socioeconomic disruptions. The panel recommends that work on the canal project be suspended until an appropriate ESIA is completed. The project should be resumed only if it is demonstrated to be economically feasible, environmentally acceptable, and socially beneficial.

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KW - Nicaragua

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KW - interoceanic canal

KW - social impacts

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Critical Uncertainties and Gaps in the Environmental-and Social-Impact Assessment of the Proposed Interoceanic Canal through Nicaragua

Abstract

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