About IAIA and IAIA WNC
IAIA is the International Association for Impact Assessment, organized in 1980 to bring
together researchers, practitioners, and users of various types of impact assessment from all
parts of the world. IAIA involves people from many disciplines and professions.

Our members include:

  • corporate planners and managers
  • public interest advocates
  • government planners and administrators
  • private consultants and policy analysts
  • university and college teachers and their students.

One of the unique features of IAIA is the mix of professions represented, which provides
outstanding opportunities for interchange: to advance the state of the art and science of
impact assessment in applications ranging from local to global to develop international and
local capability to anticipate, plan and manage the consequences of development to enhance
the quality of life for all.

IAIA members now number more than 2,500 and represent more than 100 countries.
Organizations are active in:








International conferences are held annually.
The 2008 Conference (IAIA '08) will be held in Perth, Australia.  Other recent locations were:












We now regularly anticipate 600 or more participants at these events.

Regional conferences are organized to make information exchange and networking
opportunities available to those who might not be able to attend the international
conferences, as well as to focus attention to specific issues.

Training programs are held regularly in conjunction with IAIA international conferences.
These range from one day to one week in duration and deal with a variety of impact
assessment issues.

Our quarterly journal, Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, contains a variety of peer-
reviewed research articles, professional practice ideas, and book reviews of recently
published titles. IAPA provides a one-source link to the latest ideas in the wide-ranging field
of impact assessment.

The IAIA newsletter, published 4 times annually, provides members with current information
concerning association activities and events.

IAIA has entered into strategic partnerships with a number of national and international
organizations. Among these are The Netherlands Association for Environmental
Professionals (VVM), the World Bank, various United Nations organizations, the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA), the U.S. Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ),
and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA). These partnerships have
been mutually beneficial, enabling our organization to accomplish jointly a number of projects
that IAIA likely would not have been able to undertake alone.

IAIA activities seek to:
  1. develop approaches and practices for comprehensive and integrated impact
    assessment
  2. improve assessment procedures and methods for practical application
  3. promote training of impact assessment and public understanding of the field
  4. provide professional quality assurance by peer review and other means, and
  5. share information networks, timely publications, and professional meetings.
  • Nigeria
  • Ontario
  • Quebec
  • Senegal
  • South Africa
  • the United States.
  • Brazil
  • Cameroon
  • Central and Eastern Europe
  • Japan
  • New Zealand
  • Seoul, Korea (2007)
  • Stvanger, Norway (2006)
  • Boston, USA
    (2005)                        
  • Vancouver, Canada (2004)
  • Marakesh, Morocco (2003)
  • The Hague,  Netherlands (2002)
  • Cartagena, Colombia (2001)
  • Hong Kong (2000)
  • Glasgow, Scotland (1999)
  • Christchurch, New Zealand
    (1998)
  • New Orleans, USA (1997)
  • Estoril, Portugal (1996)
  • Durban, South Africa (1995)
  • Quebec City, Canada (1994)
  • Shanghai, PRC (1993)
  • Washington, DC (1992)
  • Champaign, Illinois (1991), and
  • Lausanne, Switzerland (1990).
  • guest speakers
  • conferences
  • newsletters
  • networking opportunities, and
  • much more

All of this is done to support the continuing improvement of the professional practice
of impact assessment. Membership in Western and Northern Canada is a diverse mix
of professionals from government, consultants, NGOs, industry, and First Nations.
Subjects deal with predicting, evaluating, managing and monitoring the impacts of
human activities on ecosystems and people, in order to improve decision making
about economic developments.

Northern and Western Canada is home to much cutting edge practice in impact
assessment, and IAIA WNC makes it easier than ever to learn from the experiences of
others in the region.
IAIA is the only multi-disciplinary international organization for impact
assessment professionals. Its Western and Northern Canada (WNC)
Affiliate is a dynamic professional association providing a range of
EIA-related activities including:
Int'l Association for Impact Assessment
Western & Northern Canada Affiliate
2215 19th St. S.W.
,Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2T 4X1
(403) 245-6404    IAIA-WNC@praxis.ca