ABSTRACT
The cumulative perspective in social impact assessment considers the social, economic, cultural and political implications of a number of industrializing projects in a region, with attention to their interrelated effects over time. The sum of these interrelated effects are likely to be greater than those generated by particular projects, considered separately. That is, impacts may have an additive effects many small, local impacts could be substantial when occurring together. There are at least five broad problem areas related to a cumulative assessment of change. These have to do with the geographic scale of more "traditional" impact assessment, the timing of the assessment process, the difficulty of measuring intangible impacts, the structural organization of the impact assessment program, and the need to establish the significance of the research. Cumulative impact assessment is really a recognition of what should be an essential component of a strategic, regional, or metropolitan planning process.
