# Presentation: 125076

## The Alberta Risk Assessment Tool 

**prepared by:**
**Interdepartmental Invasive Alien Species Working Group (IASWG)**
**presented by:**
**Debbie Oyarzun, P.Ag., M.Sc., Alberta Agriculture and Food**

***– ******Assessing Risk – ****** – Prioritizing Response – ***

**The Alberta Risk Assessment Tool***** ***

## Alberta’s Policy Approach on IAS

*Weed Control Act*
*Agricultural Pests Act*
*Fisheries Act*
*Wildlife Act*
*Forest and Prairie Protection Act*
- Department focused policies & programs
- National Invasive Species Strategy

## Alberta’s Operational Approach

- Prevention & Early Detection
- CFIA interceptions
- Alberta Invasive Plants Council
- Milfoil & knapweed signs on highways
- Weed surveys
- Rapid Response
- Alberta Critical Pest Infestation Response Plan
- Environmental Protection & Enhancement Fund

## Alberta’s Operational Approach

- Management
- Various government departments
- Agricultural Service Boards (Municipal)

## Governance

- Deputy Minister’s

- Cabinet

- Alberta Biodiversity Steering Committee

- Task-Specific Subgroups

**Interdepartmental Invasive Alien Species Working Group**

- Task-Specific Subgroups

**Interdepartmental Biodiversity Working Group**

**Governance**

## IASWG Purpose & Mandate

- Coordinate, align & consolidate
- Legislation, policies, programs, communications, partnerships
**Develop Risk Management Framework**
**Risk assessment tool (R.A.T)**
- Provide Recommendations
- Implementation of National Strategy, action plans, etc.

## Invasive Alien Species

**Invasive Alien Species**

- Disease

- Terrestrial Animals

- Plant Pests

- Fish

- Intentional Introductions

- Unintentional Introductions

## Management Framework

**Risk Assessment**

**Rapid Response**

**Screening**

**Identification**

**Management**

**Communication**

## R.A.T. Outline

**Intent**
**Structure **
**Stages**
- Answers and confidence
- Weighted scores
**Risk characterization**
- Results comparison
**Next steps**

## Intent

- Set priorities among established and potentially invasive species
- Local to provincial use or scale
- Integrated
- Established and potential
- Terrestrial and aquatic
- Environmental, social, and economic

## Expert Review

- Expert Panel Review – March 13, 2007
- B.C. Ministry of Forest and Range
- McClay EcoScience, AB
- National Invasive Species Specialist, US
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency
- Decision Analysis Risk Consultants Inc., ONT
- Department of Rural Economy, U of A, AB

## Structure of the Tool

- Problem Formulation

**STAGE 1**

- Analysis

**STAGE 2**

- Risk Characterization

**STAGE 3 & 4**

**Structure of the Tool**

**Species**** ****Characterization**

**Assessment**** ****Indicators**

**Weighting **
**Risk Report**

## STAGE 1: Problem FormulationSpecies Characterization

- Information collection
- Taxonomic information
- Regulatory status
- Source locations
- Life history
- Known dispersal capabilities
- Other known invasions and consequences
- Answers not included in risk calculation

## Questions
Guidance
Answer selection
Confidence

- Questions
- Guidance
- Answer selection
- Confidence

## STAGE 2: AnalysisAssessment of Exposure and Effects

**STAGE 2: Analysis*****Assessment of Exposure and Effects***

- Exposure
- Biological characteristics
- Introduction

- Effect
- Environmental Impact
- Economic Impact
- Social Impact

- Control Management

## Exposure Indicators

**Introduction**
- Introduction Potential
- Established or potential
- Methods of introduction
- Survivability
- Detection in transit

## Exposure Indicators

**Exposure Indicators**

**Biological Characteristics**
- Habitat Suitability
- Habitat requirements
- Habitat availability

## Exposure Indicators

**Exposure Indicators**

**Biological Characteristics**
- Reproductive characteristics
- Rates
- Abilities

## Exposure Indicators

**Exposure Indicators**

**Biological Characteristics**
- Dispersal Ability
- Rates
- Distance

## Effects Indicators

**Effects Indicators**

**Will it affect the environment?**

**Environmental Impacts**
- Ability to out-compete
- Affect rare or sensitive species
- Alternate host for disease or parasite
- Affect ecosystem processes

## Effects Indicators

**Effects Indicators**

**Will it affect the economy?**

**Economic Impacts**
- General Effects
- Effect on Agriculture
- Effect on Forestry
- Effects on Animal Health

## Effects Indicators

**Will it affect society?**

**Social Impacts**
- Effect on human health and well being
- Effect on culture, community & traditional knowledge
- Enjoyment or significance of culturally valued areas
- Effect on local biodiversity

## Control

**Control Management**
- Side effects
- Level of effort

## Answers and Confidence

_**ANSWERS**_
**Answers generate a score between 0 and 3**
**Score used in risk calculation**
**Unknown answers are omitted from calculation**

_**CONFIDENCE**_
**Assign confidence for answer **
**(Low, Medium, High)**

## STAGE 3 and 4: Risk Characterization Risk Characterization and Uncertainty

- 33.3%

- =

- =

- Same calculation for confidence scores

**Notes:**
Highest total possible score (3)

## Weighted Scores

- Raw Risk Score   x   Weight   =   Weighted Risk Score

- 33.3   x   .10   =   3.3

## Overview of ResultsSpreadsheet

## RISK = Exposure  X  Effect

| Group | % Indicator Score |  | % Confidence |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Raw | Weighted | Raw | Weighted |
| Biological Characteristics | 85.7% | 17.1% | 73.8% | 14.8% |
| Introduction | 94.4% | 18.9% | 72.2% | 14.4% |
| Environmental Impact | 66.7% | 13.3% | 58.3% | 11.7% |
| Economic Impact | 8.3% | 1.7% | 66.7% | 13.3% |
| Social Impact | 58.3% | 11.7% | 75.0% | 15.0% |
| Control Management | 83.3% | 0.0% | 83.3% | 0.0% |

- RISK = Exposure  X  Effect

**Risk Calculation – Alternate*****Example***

- (17.1 + 18.9) X (13.3 + 1.7 + 11.7)

- 9.6 *(Possible scores 0 to 24) = **40%*

## Results Comparison

|  | Default |  | Biology |  | Social |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Wt | Score | Wt | Score | Wt | Score |
| Biological Characteristics | 20% | 17.1 | 30% | 25.7 | 10% | 8.6 |
| Introduction | 20% | 18.9 | 30% | 28.3 | 10% | 9.4 |
| Environmental Impact | 20% | 13.3 | 20% | 13.3 | 20% | 13.3 |
| Economic Impact | 20% | 1.7 | 10% | 0.8 | 30% | 2.5 |
| Social Impact | 20% | 11.7 | 10% | 5.8 | 30% | 17.5 |
| Control | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 |
| TOTALS | 100 | 62.7 | 100 | 74.0 | 100 | 51.3 |

**Notes:**
Delete

## Next Steps	

- RAT Tool Review and Revision
- Calculations
- Enhance questions (social, economic, control)
- Validation
- Known invasive species
- Native species
- Web-based delivery platform
- Develop framework
- September 2007 presented for acceptance