Download EX 5766

Aggregates Levey Sustainability Fund – MEPF 04/03
MARA-GIS, Technical Report
Summary
MARA-GIS
Technical report
Report EX 5766
September 2008
Risk assessment involves an analysis of both the probability of potentially harmful events
occurring and the consequential impact of such events. The Marine Aggregate Risk Assessment
(MARA) Framework was developed to complement the existing Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) and Regional Environmental Assessment (REA) processes. Through the
provision of a structured risk assessment methodology and an associated supporting GIS based
software MARA seeks to formalise the characterisation of probability and consequences
together with the transparent representation of uncertainty within the underlying evidence. As
such MARA promotes clarity in the evidence gathered through EIAs and REAs and presented to
decision makers.
The conceptual bias and methods underpinning the MARA framework have been previously
described in an earlier ALSF supported project (HR Wallingford Report EX5453, 2007). The
subject of this report is the enactment of those methods within a GIS toolset. The MARA-GIS
is fully-functional and its utlility is demonstarted through application to a hypothetical case
study. The interface and scalability of the GIS supports its use by both consultants, for carrying
out an EIA or an REA, and Regulators for reviewing and checking assessments. A particular
strength of the GIS framework is that it provides an audit trail of the assumptions and enhances
transparency and consistency in the assessment of risks (at all scales).
The MARA Framework and associated MARA-GIS bring a consistency of approach to the
process of risk assessment in support of both Environmental Impact and Regional Environment
Assessments. MARA enables all environmental hazards, receptors and consequences of a
dredging operation to be considered within a coherent and transparent manner.
MARA involves a structured analysis of the complex interactions and issues that characterise
dredging activities. Therefore, although the MARA-GIS provides an easily operated computer
package it is not designed for use by inexperienced personnel and requires an experienced GIS
users who is both knowledgeable in risk assessment and the potential environmental impacts of
dredging activities.
The MARA-GIS application has been designed to operate on a typical PC with minimal
additional software requirements over those that would be normally used by consultants and
regulators (ArcGIS). With minimal training, the appropriate data and with expert judgement a
user can now perform a structured probabilistic Environmental Risk Assessment using the
MARA-GIS software.
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