From: AC Brent Sent: Monday, May 20, 2002 11:49 PM To: Rita Schenck; methods@lcacenter.org Subject: Re: Method Development - Developing Country Specific Impact Procedures RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE WITH ---REPLY TO ALL--- Dear Rita As water is one of the most important environmental parameters in South Africa, the approach was to define LCIA-specific regions based on the primary water catchments as water quality and quantity data is available for these catchments. However, the 22 primary catchments are not nearly representative of the 68 vegetation types and 18 ecoregions. Also, too many LCIA regions will not be effective for general LCA studies. The challenge was therefore to group the primary catchments in order to be as representative as possible of the defined vegetation types and ecoregions of South Africa. The two slides you refer indicate the percentage of the vegetation types and ecoregions that are included in the grouped catchments. This will be especially important where land-use is considered. A target value for land-use in each LCIA regions should be a pristine conservation of 10% of the vegetation types represented in the LCIA regions as per the 1992 agreements. An alternative could have been to group the vegetation types and determine how the catchments are represented in this grouping. However, the current state of the vegetation and ecoregions of South Africa is less regorous compared to water data and is was decided to proceed with the catchment grouping. I hope this serves to clarify your question. Regards Alan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rita Schenck" To: Sent: Monday, May 20, 2002 10:01 PM Subject: Method Development - Developing Country Specific Impact Procedures RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE WITH ---REPLY TO ALL--- > I was interested in the ecoregion approach to LCIA--bout you last two > figures showing more than 90% of more than two/thirds... I'm afraid that I > don't follow your logic here. Can you discuss it in more detail for me? > > > Rita Schenck > Institute for Environmental Research and Education > P.O. Box 2449 > 17917 Vashon Hwy SW > Vashon, WA 98070 > 206-463-7430 > 206-279-1570 (f) > http://www.iere.org > >