Social Impact Assessment
the Website of Rabel Burdge
To help you in doing SIA, I have SIA workshops
and teaching materials to include new SIA books, key citations, useful websites
and an SIA bibliography, among others. I also do SIA workshops, provide
consulting and reviewer services and accept short term assignments.
8
Help with SIA
For information about who I am,8
About Rabel Burdge?
To learn about upcoming conferences and meetings, calls for abstracts, new
publications
and the latest in SIA news
8
SIA News
What is Social
Impact Assessment?
Social
impact assessment (SIA) is a
sub-field of the social sciences that is developing a knowledge base to provide
a systematic appraisal in advance of the impacts on
the day-to-day quality of life of persons and communities whose environment is
affected by a proposed project, plan or policy change.
Social impacts (also effects
and consequences) refer to changes to individuals
and communities due to a proposed action that alters the day-to-day way in which
people live, work, play, relate to one another, organize to meet their needs and
generally cope as members of society.
Why is Social Impact Assessment Important?
We
do
social impact assessment
to help individuals, communities, as well as government and private sector
organizations understand and be able to anticipate the possible social
consequences on human populations and communities of proposed project
development or policy changes.
When Do We Do Social Impact Assessment?
SIA
is done as part of the planning process and therefore alerts the planner and the
project proponent (through the social assessor) to the likelihood of social
impacts. Like a biological, physical, or economic impact—social impacts have to
be pointed out and measured in order to be understood and communicated to the
impacted population and decision-makers.
Social impact assessment
provides a realistic appraisal of possible social ramifications and suggestions
for project alternatives and possible mitigation measures.
Who is
Rabel Burdge?
I have devoted most of
my career
to studying the changes that take place in human communities as the result of
planned and unplanned interventions in the natural and physical environment. In
the 60s and 70s I focused on water and reservoir development. In the 70s and 80s
I studied
the disposal of conventional and nuclear waste. In the 90s and recently I have
done SIAs, on the impact of forest management plans, the listing of endangered
species, large scale industrial and housing projects as well as bringing
low-income housing to established neighborhoods, among others. My goal has always been to
help communities better understand the consequences of a proposed change before a decision
is made to go ahead.
Address Details:
Rabel J. Burdge
PO Box 4056
1108 13th Street
Bellingham, WA 98227-4056
USA
e-mail: burdge@comcast.net or
burdge@cc.wwu.edu
Phone: +1-360-676-9892
Fax: +1-360-715-0985
Toll Free: +1-800-377-9358 Pin #40 (US & Canada Only)
Web Address:
www.socialimpactassessment.net
