Cumulative Impacts

BSII Cumulative impact Assessment Toolbox (BSII CAT) was developed to facilitate regionally coherent assessments of cumulative impacts. The toolbox includes tools for calculating the Baltic Sea Impact Index and the Baltic Sea Pressure Index. It also supports the identification of areas with high ecological value or high potential provision of ecosystem services, supporting the green infrastructure concept as developed in Pan Baltic Scope. The toolbox enables batch impact assessments and impacts assessments targeting ecosystem components important for green infrastructure in a balanced way. The tool uses regional data as default, but it can also be applied using data layers, if these align with the basic requirements of the tool.

Open the Toolbox HERE.

Cumulative impact assessments make it possible to understand the combined effects on the environment from many human activities taken together. In maritime spatial planning (MSP), evaluation of cumulative impacts represents both a necessity and a way to support long-term sustainability in alignment with the ecosystem-based approach.

Download HERE

The cumulative impact assessment can help the planner communicate how the plan may influence on the presence of environmental pressures, and how it may impact on species and habitats.
Understanding cumulative impacts is important for screening baseline conditions in the initial planning phase, and for supporting planning decisions when comparing different alternatives.
Assessment results at the overarching level can indicate priorities for further analyses and management consideration, or analyses can be aimed to give more specific results for aspects of key concern.

Download HERE