Participatory Science: Benefits and challenges of implementing a co-designed environmental monitoring program and Impact Assessment

Abstract

We have seen an increase of interest in participatory planning approaches to development projects as a means of increasing overall project success by bringing stakeholder needs to the forefront and addressing concerns of nimbyism the erosion of trust in government and corporate decision making. While the approach has received increasing attention on the international development stage and recognized as a preferred practice by the World Bank, recent changes to the Canadian Impact Assessment Act to explicitly document participation in the assessment process, brings the issue closer to home.

In 2018, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) launched a participatory process for the environmental baseline program design in both siting areas. The result of two years of engagement and design is a co-designed program unique to the needs of each siting area.

This paper will present a case study of local collaboration on an environmental program between the NWMO and the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority (SVCA) in the Saugeen Ojibway Nation – South Bruce siting area, discuss some of the challenges and benefits of the participatory process and local partnership during the design phase, as well as the transition to participatory implementation of the design and preparation for a participatory impact assessment. It will also explore the need to adopt an agile planning approach to support the underlying program philosophy of continuous learning.