Home > Actions > D. Monitoring of the Impact of the Project Actions > D4 Assessment of the socio-economic impact of the project actions on the local economy and population

The purpose of this action is to assess the impact of all the C and E project actions on the socio-economic conditions of the local population living in the Amyntaio area and on the ecosystem functions. The action will start during the last year (January 2020) of the project. It will consolidate the data and results of actions C and E on the local economy and social welfare. It will also integrate the results of all the C actions on the ecosystem services and the targeted species. Examples of project impacts on the local economy are the enhancement of ecotourism due to the improvement of the quality of the services and services of the area. Examples of project impacts on the ecosystem services are the improvement of the range condition of the grasslands and the enhancement of carbon sequestration by the revegetation of naked slopes. The impacts of the project actions will be valued in economic terms where possible.

This socio-economic impact assessment examines how the LIFE AMYBEAR project will change the lives of current and future residents of the project area. The indicators used to measure the potential socio-economic impacts of the project include the following:

- Changes in community demographics;

- Demand for public services;

- Changes in the scale of the threat that community members feels;

- Changes in employment and income levels; and

- Changes in the behaviour towards wildlife.

Quantitative measurement of such factors is an important component of the socio-economic impact assessment. At the same time, the perception of community members about how LIFE AMYBEAR project will affect their lives is a critical part of the assessment and should contribute to any decision to move ahead with development and protection of the area in the future. In fact, gaining an understanding of community values and concerns is an important first step in conducting a socio-economic impact assessment.

The socio-economic impacts of LIFE AMYBEAR project on the community may actually begin the day the project is proposed. Changes in social structure and inter-actions among community members may occur once the new activities and actions are pro-posed to the community. In addition, real, measurable and often significant effects on the human environment can begin to take place as soon as there are changes in social or economic conditions. From the time of the earliest announcement of a pending project, attitudes toward the project are formed, interest groups and other coalitions prepare strategies, speculators may lock up potentially important properties, and politicians can maneuver for position.