A proposal to improve ecological compensation practice in road and railway projects in Spain

To reduce ecological impacts caused by development projects, avoidance, minimization and compensation techniques have to be taken together into consideration along Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures. This paper explores the particular role that ecological compensation has had in recent road and railway EIA procedures in Spain, as seen through the review of a set of recent EIA Records of Decision (RODs) that confirms precedent findings. Noticing that residual impacts are not paid much attention, and that there is no evidence of a solid public participation in ecological impact evaluation, it proposes to increase the awareness on residual impacts, as a way to make easier public access to the allegedly most sensitive moment of EIA implementation: (residual) impact evaluation.

► Ecological compensation practice in Spain is much lower than avoidance or mitigation.
► Residual impacts are overlooked in EIA processes and public participation is low.
► An increased awareness of residual impacts may also promote public participation.
► Current context needs these small steps to move towards better compensation practice.