distinguishing between impediments and risks To me they both seem to be issues that negatively impact the project. So how to tell the difference? When identifying these 'issues', how do project managers determine whether or not it is a risk or an impediment? What are some real world examples of each and why they are categorized as risks or impediments?

An impediment or issue is something that is impacting the project **now**.

A risk is something that **might occur** in the future. Typically, we look at risks in terms of the likelihood they will occur and the impact on the project if they do occur.

If the impact/likelihood of a risk is high enough, we'd usually try to mitigate it in some way. This might involve a significant change in direction in the case of a high impact/high likelihood risk or just having a plan B for less critical risks.