Formalized Impact Benefit Agreements (IBAs) between communities and resource project proponents are increasingly popular for defining benefits and mitigating adverse effects of natural resource development. These agreements are contracts signed by project developers, governments and impacted communities. This session will share a suite of planning student presentations from the School of Resource and Environmental Management (REM-Planning) Planning Program related to IBAs and Indigenous governance. While there is considerable information available about IBAs, significant gaps remain. There is an absence of research and knowledge to help communities, practitioners, and policymakers evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of these agreements. Also lacking are the fiscal mechanisms possible in IBAs, which ultimately determine who gets what, and what is fair. Underscoring the research are questions surrounding the growing tension between market-oriented resource development policies and growing recognition of Indigenous rights. This session will speak to these gaps, providing IBA models and case studies illustrating pathways for improving IBA structure and outcomes.
