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TRANSFORMING TRANSFORMING TRANSFORMING
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT FY 2023
STAGE 2: Biodiversity Risk Assessment
The risk and impact identification process
helps to determine biodiversity risks and
impacts from a proposed project
construction and operations aspect, within a
10 km radius of the site. This part of the risk
and impact identification process aligns with
regulatory requirements like EIA Notification
2006, and international standard
requirements like Environmental and Social
Impact Assessments, Biodiversity
Management Plans, Critical Habitat Studies,
to name the key evaluation exercises.
Further, at this stage, Key Biodiversity Areas
(KBA) and Protected Areas (PA) located
within a 50 km radius of the site are
screened using IBAT and secondary
literature. Stakeholder consultations are also
extensively held to understand the localized
point of view and any distinctive
socio-economic, geographic or climactic
dynamics that may have been overlooked in
the standardized studies.
Post-evaluation outcomes and actions
After the evaluation metrics furnish their
results, sites can be clearly classified on the
basis of the biodiversity risk they pose.
According to such classifications, the
conservation actions to be taken are
determined.
• Where sites are in close proximity to
biodiversity rich areas, as has been
identified above, three further evaluation
actions are taken. The current status of
biodiversity is assessed, along with the
interaction of biodiversity with operations
at the project site. Further, the biodiversity
conservation approach currently being
followed is also evaluated.
This leads to a pragmatic understanding of
the as-is conditions, helping in the
COMMUNITIES THE PLANET THE WORKPLACE
crystallizing of the to-be way forward. Accordingly, additional These include:
biodiversity management practices and measures necessary to 1) Ecosystems most likely to be impacted by daily operations, resulting
achieve our NNL goal are determined, designed and subsequently, in adverse impacts to proximate communities,
deployed. 2) Ecosystems on which our operations depend. Further, an ecosystem
• Where operations are likely to adversely impact ecosystems, a dependency and impact assessment may be conducted in order to
review of priority ecosystem impact is undertaken. identify critical ecosystem services in the area.
Impacts and dependencies identified in the Biodiversity Risk Assessment
Potential impacts on nature include loss of
habitat and/or species and degradation of Biodiversity Risks Mitigation Hierarchy
natural ecosystems, including the impact of
pollution. Use of natural capital as • Loss of modified habitats due to • Avoid • Offset
construction of infrastructure (high)
represented by natural resources like water, - No discharge policy to prevent - Expansion of vegetative cover
pollution of water bodies
in barren/degraded lands
soil, minerals is the other aspect of our • Disturbance due to dust and - Due diligence to avoid/restrict - Restoration of wildlife habitats
pollution from the movement of
impact. Today there is heightened awareness vehicles (high) procurement from Critical and corridors
regarding companies’ use of natural capital
and the corporate world is moving towards Habitats - Restoration of coastal
natural capital accounting as a basis for • Habitat degradation due to fugitive - SOPs to prevent introduction of ecosystems including wetlands
emissions from the plant (high)
project cost evaluation. At Vedanta, we invasive species during and mangroves
recognize our use of natural resources as a • Habitat degradation due to air movement of vehicles and goods • Transform
pollution and vehicular movement
key dependency, which gets reflected in (medium) • Minimize - Conservation of endangered
these risk assessments.
• Introduction of invasive species from - EMP to minimize air, noise, water, fauna
vehicular movement (medium) soil pollution - Conservation centres for
The biodiversity risk assessment exercise - Afforestation and greenbelt endangered plants
prioritised the sites on the basis of risk and • Faunal injury/fatality due to plantation to reduce disturbance - Wildlife rescue support
classifies them as: High, Medium and Low. movement of vehicles (medium) - Regulation of and defining routes - Support in prevention of forest
This assigned priority rating then determines • Loss of animal movement corridor for vehicular movements fires
the nature of Biodiversity Management Plan (medium) - Improved monitoring of habitats - Livelihood improvement and
(BMP) to be prepared for the relevant site. • Possible loss of endangered plant engagement with local
Once the plan is prepared, it is implemented species (low) • Restore community
and helps to manage and mitigate our impact • Freshwater pollution from accidental - Soil & moisture conservation - Public awareness campaigns
on biodiversity against a variety of run-offs (low) activities - Capacity building for forest
parameters. - Plantation of native and personnel
• Loss of natural/wildlife habitats (low) endangered species - Bamboo fodder development
A consolidated list of impact-based • Loss of migratory and congregatory - Removal of invasive species
biodiversity risks and examples of actions to wetlands for birds (low) - Introduction of aquatic
be taken as per the mitigation hierarchy are • Withdrawal of water resources from vegetation
depicted below: water stressed areas (low) - Restoration of water bodies
We completed the Baseline Biodiversity Survey this year for all our sites. The baseline establishes a core set of biodiversity assessment criteria or
indicators, which form the basis of site-specific impact analysis and guides the shaping and definition of mitigation and management measures.
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