Sporting a healthy bond with nature

Aguide designed to help integrate biodiversity considerations into new sports venues, minimising their impacts on nature and delivering conservation benefits, was released by IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, at the United Nations Environment Assembly, in partnership with the International Olympic Commitee (IOC).

The guide, the second in a series supported by the IOC, confirms that poorly-designed sports venues that alter landscapes, disturb wildlife and increase pollution oten have long-lasting impacts on the environment. However, it finds that with careful screening and atention to the location and design, new facilities and temporary infrastructures built for sporting events can either avoid or minimise impacts on nature and, in some cases, contribute to conservation.

The report points out that wherever a new sports venue is built, or the refurbishment of an existing venue is undertaken, it is likely that biodiversity will be affected by that development, although the significance of impacts on biodiversity – both negative and positive – will vary enormously from sport to sport and location to location.

In particular, poorly planned sports venues can have a wide range of negative impacts on biodiversity, including habitat loss, pollution, and the disturbance of wildlife through noise, lighting, trampling and the introduction of invasive alien species. On the positive side, these venues can help to raise awareness of conservation issues and human dependence on nature. They can also contribute materially by protecting areas known to be important for biodiversity, increasing natural habitats for plants and animals, helping to restore degraded areas, supporting local efforts to conserve biodiversity and encouraging the involvement of local communities in conservation activities. Where sports venues are carefully designed, impacts on biodiversity can be avoided and an overall gain of biodiversity can be achieved.

Sports organisations, public authorities and financial institutions as well as those involved in the actual construction and decommissioning of venues all have a role to play in managing the range of impacts that sport venues may have on biodiversity. This includes implementing different measures that can be taken to mitigate any negative impacts and adopting approaches that contribute to biodiversity conservation. Moreover, with careful planning and design, new sports venues and the expansion of existing sites or temporary facilities can, in some cases, even contribute to an overall gain of biodiversity.

Biodiversity impacts can be successfully managed by implementing the mitigation hierarchy steps, from avoidance to minimisation, restoration and biodiversity offset. Specific measures to mitigate biodiversity impacts associated to new sport venues, extensions and temporary facilities include the avoidance of impacts in World Heritage sites and protected areas, the restoration of degraded sites as part of the siting of new venues and the use of green design elements. In addition, through auditing and reporting, project developers can demonstrate to their stakeholders that mitigation measures are being implemented and biodiversity outcomes achieved.

The most cost effective approach is to consider biodiversity early on and continuously throughout the development process. Such an approach can also help developers minimize risks and prevent unforeseen delays and costs, and avoid having to repair or compensate for environmental damage aterwards.

Another key factor of success is to use biodiversity information and the right expertise as early as possible in the development and design phases. While the guide is aimed at the sports industry, it is also beneficial for a range of stakeholders involved in the construction and decommissioning of venues. It urges decision makers to integrate biodiversity considerations into every stage of development and to manage impacts using preventative measures, and where necessary, corrective action.

Case studies: During the planning phase for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Park, a colony of the threatened Green and Golden Bell Frog was discovered within the proposed location of the Olympic tennis venue. The venue was therefore moved elsewhere within the Olympic Park, where there were no ecological constraints. By the start of the Games, more than AUD 1 million had been spent to protect the frog, including the construction of a suitable habitat for the species.

In Portugal, the development of the West Cliffs Golf Course near Lisbon allowed a dormant native seed bank stored in the topsoil to thrive, establishing a mosaic of over 15 hectares of coastal low-scrub plant communities, and providing habitat for diverse, native species. While in Cape Town, South Africa, Green Point urban park is now part of the legacy from the stadium built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and offers a wide range of recreation and cultural activities for visitors, along with a Biodiversity Garden showcasing the Cape’s native flora.