2026-IAIA

Misinformation, Disinformation, Communication, & Impact Assessment

Join us at the 45th Annual Conference of the International Association for Impact Assessment IAIA26.

This year’s event brings together global leaders and practitioners to explore new ways to strengthen public trust, improve communication of complex scientific data, and advance best practices in environmental assessment.

May 19, 2026 9:00 AM to May 22, 2026 5:00 PM (UTC-4)

Québec City - Canada

Technical Sessions

Our experts will be chairing, facilitating, and presenting a diverse range of topics throughout the conference. Don’t miss WSP’s sessions, check out the schedule below for details.

May 17-18 Sunday, Monday

May 17-18 I 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Michael D. Smith - Cumulative Effects Workshop

May 19 - Tuesday

May 19 I 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Lindsay McCallum - Truth, Transparency & Trust: HIA Strategies to Address Misinformation
May 19 I 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Roberto Mezzalama and Sean Capstick -Session Chair - Climate Risk Assessment in the Age of Climate Misinformation

May 20 - Wednesday

May 20 I 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Megan Barnes - Managing uncertainties in IA for a progressive design build project
May 20 I 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. I 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Aaron Goldschmidt - Are we living in the Post-Consultation Era ?
May 20 I 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Fabienne Lord - Disinformation from Within: Lessons from an Indigenous Consultation Case
May 20 I 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Mina Patel - Mitigating risk through inclusion: The case for assessor-led engagement
May 20 I 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Francesca Fazio and Marina Costa - Spreading the Deliberative Approach to Impact Assessment and Decision-making
May 20 I 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Aldo Turco - Experience Vs Science: Engaging fishermen with a deliberative approach
May 20 I 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Meliha Beyza Kozak - Including Local Communities in Biodiversity Offset Planning in Turkiye
May 20 I 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Maya Brennan Jacot - Development of the ZTIP biodiversity compensation strategy

May 21 - Thursday

May 21 I 9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Manuel Loureiro Gontijo - Digital Innovation in Stakeholder Engagement for Major Urban Infrastructure
May 21 I 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Andrew Mason - Assessing the Assessments: New Frameworks for Cultural Heritage Risk, Performance, and Transparency
May 21 I 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Ben O'Hickey- From Site to Global - a hybrid approach to improve impact management
May 21 I 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Michael D. Smith - The NEPA Impact Assessment Process: A Brief History of Reform Efforts
May 21 I 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Laurence Lépine - Co-Designing Arctic Land Use Assessments with Inuit Communities

May 22 - Friday

May 22 I 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Shaina Sehgal- Copiloting Socio-Economic Baselines: Enhancing IAs with AI
May 22 I 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Christopher Davidson - The Importance of Communicating Climate Change Costs

May 22 I 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Michael Taylor - NatureVista and AI-Driven EIA Under Canada’s New Legislative Landscape
May 22 I 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Janet Blackadar - Session Chair - From field to boardroom: digital IA beyond initial permitting
May 22 I 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Lauren Osmond - ‘Assessment Years’ Approach to Large Scale Infrastructure Development

From Data to Decisions: How AI Is Reshaping Impact Assessment

As part of IAIA26, WSP co‑hosts a thought leadership panel exploring how AI and digital tools are reshaping impact assessment practice. Hear perspectives from WSP, Microsoft, and other voices on real‑world applications, key challenges, and what responsible innovation looks like in this evolving space.