Addressing climate change in EIA legislation and the climate-proofing of dams: a comparative analysis of Canada, Oman and Portugal

Abstract

Dams are long-term structures still being developed despite the controversy around their relevance and associated impacts. Dams can impact climate change but also be vulnerable to climate change risks when not properly assessed before approval. As including climate change within EIA is said to thrive this assessment, legislation is being revised and support guidelines adopted, but the practice remains scarcely researched. This article analyses how climate change is being addressed in EIA legislation, supporting guidelines, and dam safety regulations in Canada, Oman and Portugal. The findings show that climate change concerns are not fully detailed in the process, leaving aside references in steps like scoping and follow-up. Also, adaptation is disregarded in legislation and left to the guidelines. To make matters worse, the existing dam safety regulations are not including specific references to climate change. Given dams’ relevance and long-term nature, these conclusions underline the need to foster a clear inclusion of climate change concerns in the environmental assessment of new dams and ensure their climate-proofing before approval.