REALISING STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IN ANTARCTICA

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (03) ◽  
pp. 483-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICARDO M. ROURA ◽  
ALAN D. HEMMINGS
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Policy Objectives ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Antarctic

This paper discusses high-level environmental policy objectives under the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), and their relation to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). It reviews the need for SEA in Antarctica; discusses existing ATS strategic processes and the impediments to achieving the high-level environmental policy objectives agreed within the ATS, and suggests ways to improve strategic consideration of environmental issues. Whilst the concept of a strategic approach is already accepted in principle within the ATS, there remain difficulties in realising this. These include, inter alia, limitations in the established processes addressing environmental issues (particularly cumulative impacts), and ongoing tensions between the nominally agreed international objectives and national interests (including issues around unresolved territorial sovereignty claims) in practice. The article contends that given growing pressures on the Antarctic environment, high-level environmental policy objectives cannot be achieved through accumulated reactive ad hoc measures, or by industry self-regulation, but requires a systematic approach to strategic environmental considerations.

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AS A TOOL TO CONTRIBUTE TO HIGH-LEVEL POLICY OBJECTIVES

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELSA JOÃO ◽  
ANNA MCLAUCHLAN
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Assessment Policy ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Environmental Objectives ◽  
Policy Objectives ◽  
High Level

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) has often been identified as a key tool to contribute to sustainable development. This special issue of the Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management focuses on European SEA practice between 2003 and 2010 to critically evaluate SEA links to sustainable development and similar, difficult to define, high-level policy objectives: democratisation, good governance, agri-environmental objectives, and environmental justice. The papers centre upon the three main topics covered by the different research: SEA outcomes being directly related to policy goals; an analysis of the absence of SEA applied to "positive" policy objectives; and the realism of associating SEA with high-level policy objectives. In particular, this paper calls for greater critical engagement with this latter topic, identifying a need to examine why associations are made between SEA and policy goals.

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IN FINLAND: AN EVALUATION OF THE SEA ACT APPLICATION

2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
TARJA SÖDERMAN ◽  
TUOMAS KALLIO
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Planning Tool ◽  
Environmental Reporting ◽  
Definition Of

Experiences from the Finnish Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Act were studied by surveying 35 SEA processes. Integration of plan or programme preparation and assessment, organisation of assessment, public participation and consultation, treatment of alternatives, scoping, impact assessment methods, effectiveness, environmental reporting, follow-up, effects on plan or programme preparation, assessment costs and consistency of the assessment were examined and evaluated. The results suggest that SEA is not yet used properly in decision-making. Several shortcomings characterised assessment practices in public participation, establishment and comparison of alternatives, definition of environmental problems, recognition of significant impacts and readiness to use SEA as a planning tool to integrate environmental considerations into the planning. In consequence, the assessments had only minor effects on the adopted plans and programmes. The most critical challenges in Finnish SEA practise are focusing on the most significant environmental issues and strengthening the links between planning, participation and decision-making.

GOVERNMENTALITY AND STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: CHALLENGING THE SEA/GOOD GOVERNANCE NEXUS

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (01) ◽  
pp. 67-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
CAROLINE SCOTT
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Policy Objective ◽  
The Public ◽  
Development Framework ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
The Government ◽  
High Level

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been associated with "good governance" by bodies at national and international levels including the World Bank, OECD, and UK and Scottish Governments. Typically involving components such as transparency, accountability, public participation and partnership working, this SEA/good governance nexus has been promoted in Scotland where the government sees SEA as central to its sustainable development aspirations. Using a governmentality lens to view SEA as a technique seeking to instil environmentally-focused governance, the paper examines the operation of the SEA/good governance nexus in the SEA process of one Scottish case study, a road corridor development framework undertaken between 2006 and 2008. The paper exposes instances of resistance to both the democratising elements of good governance and to SEA itself as the public and statutory Consultation Authorities find their efforts to constructively engage with the SEA process thwarted. This reveals that, in the case studied, the SEA/good governance nexus, as a high-level policy objective, is more aspiration than reality.

Antarctic values and Malaysia's involvement in Antarctica: perceptions among young citizens of Malaysia

Polar Record ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Firdaus Ahmad Shabudin ◽  
Rashidah Abdul Rahim ◽  
Norizan Md Nor ◽  
Kamarulazizi Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Strong Support ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Background Information ◽  
General Knowledge ◽  
Antarctic Region ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Future ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Future Landscape

ABSTRACTLack of support and interest among the public is one of the major challenges in strengthening and sustaining the future national agendas on Antarctica. The main goal of this study is to identify the perception of Malaysia's public with regard to Antarctic values and Malaysian involvement in the region. A survey on Malaysia's young citizen perception on Antarctic has been conducted for mapping out the future landscape of Malaysian involvement in the Antarctic region. Surveys have been conducted on respondents from secondary schools and universities in Malaysia. A questionnaire was designed to seek respondents’ knowledge and awareness on the values of Antarctica and their opinions on Malaysia's involvement. The results of the study showed that respondents had a high level of awareness of Antarctic environmental issues. However, general knowledge about the Antarctic region was still intermediate. On the other hand, the results of this study showed that the young citizens had positive and strong support for strengthening Malaysia's Antarctic involvement. This study hopes to contribute as baseline data on the matter. Such background information will reflect on the national strategy in strengthening Malaysia's current policy and future involvement in Antarctica.

scholarly journals Challenges for Integrating Strategic Environmental Assessment to Enhance Environmental Thinking: A Case Study of Taiwan Energy Policy

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen-Yu Wu ◽  
Hwong-Wen Ma
Keyword(s):  
Energy Policy ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Scientific Uncertainty ◽  
Policy Planning ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Need To Evaluate ◽  
Institutional Challenges

There is an increasing need to evaluate environmental impacts at higher policy planning levels, especially after the European Union (EU) strategic environmental assessment (SEA) directive proposed in 2001. However, integrating SEA and policy planning processes is challenging owing to institutional challenges and/or political problems. We aimed to explore the challenges of this integration process through in-depth interviews with core stakeholders in Taiwan energy policy making. Our results reveal three main types of challenge related to policy planning, SEA implementation, and difficulties in dealing with environmental issues. The first includes the policy planning model, transparency in the policy planning process, and controversial issues clarification; the second includes the different types of SEA purposes, unclear feedback on policy planning, and public participation limitation; the third includes a lack of knowledge of brokerage processes, scientific uncertainty, the role of the Taiwan EPA (TEPA) for environmental thinking, and the influence of local information in policy planning. The results of this study can be applied to countries that use impact-oriented SEA (currently the most common type of SEA) and consider environmental issues during the energy policy planning process.

QUALITY AND OUTCOMES: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IN BRAZIL

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (02) ◽  
pp. 1450011 ◽  
Author(s):  
VÍTOR MARGATO ◽  
LUIS E. SÁNCHEZ
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Technical Quality ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Environmentally Sound ◽  
High Level

In a context of unregulated practice, strategic environmental assessment (SEA) contribution to environmentally sound decision-making may be difficult to gauge. Recent Brazilian experience, where there is no legal requirement for SEA, was studied by reviewing cases selected by considering distinctive drivers for undertaking an assessment, varied locations and different consultancies hired to prepare the report. A quality review checklist was used to evaluate the contents of SEA reports according to: (i) adherence to good practice; (ii) technical quality and adequacy to decision-making processes; (iii) achievement of sound and enduring environmental benefits. Interviews aimed at gauging their actual influence. SEAs reached a relatively high level of technical quality and procedural effectiveness, but very low substantive effectiveness. Influence on decision-making varied from null to limited consideration of information in developing programs. The main challenge for SEA in unregulated contexts is to demonstrate its value to decision-makers and citizens' organisations.

Identifying national interests in Antarctica: the case of Canada

Polar Record ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 32 (183) ◽  
pp. 335-346
Author(s):  
Peter J. Beck
Keyword(s):  
National Interests ◽  
The Past ◽  
Policy Objectives ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
Politics And Law ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Antarctic Treaty System

ABSTRACTDuring the past decade, most publications on Antarctic politics and law have concentrated upon broader developments at the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) level. Less attention has been devoted to the nature of national interests in Antarctica and ways of balancing different policy objectives through time. Canada, though failing to accede to the Antarctic Treaty until 1988, offers a useful case study illuminating the broad range of interests influencing the policy of individual governments toward Antarctica, and particularly the reasons why states lacking clear national interests therein participate in the ATS. For Canada, Antarctica has always been viewed principally from an Arctic perspective. The resulting low priority of Antarctica explains Canada's initial non-involvement in the ATS. However, by the late 1980s, accession to the Antarctic Treaty was deemed desirable on policy grounds, even if Canada assumed only alow key role in the ATS, at least until 1994–1995, when the appointment of an Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs was apparently followed by a more active bi-polar strategy.

Can the Important Bird Area approach improve the Antarctic Protected Area System?

Polar Record ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane W. Harris ◽  
Eric J. Woehler
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Antarctic Research ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
Site Identification ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Important Bird Area

The selection of sites that comprise the existing network of Antarctic protected areas has been largely ad hoc, driven by national interests rather than concerted efforts to ensure systematic and representative coverage of the Antarctic environment. Consequently there are gaps in coverage of all major ecosystems, in particular areas kept inviolate from human activity, inland lakes, and marine protected areas. Annex V of the 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty provides a list of values to be protected within a network of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs), but provides no quantitative methods for site identification and prioritisation. The Antarctic Important Bird Area (IBA) Inventory is a joint initiative of BirdLife International and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Group of Experts on Birds (formerly the Bird Biology Subcommittee). The Antarctic IBA Inventory has identified 119 candidate IBAs, 97 of which are not currently protected as ASPAs. The IBA Inventory can improve the Antarctic Protected Area System (PAS) in that it provides a method by which to identify and prioritise sites for their potential inclusion in the Antarctic PAS.

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND THE DEMOCRATISATION OF SPATIAL PLANNING

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (01) ◽  
pp. 9-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALESSANDRO BONIFAZI ◽  
CARLO REGA ◽  
PAOLA GAZZOLA
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Spatial Planning ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Policy Objective ◽  
Planning Decisions ◽  
Civil Society Organisations ◽  
Democratic Control ◽  
Planning Processes ◽  
High Level

This paper investigates the potential of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to contribute to the high-level policy objective of fostering democratisation in spatial planning. Democratic SEA is conceptualised by discussing environmental citizenship, public control over policy making, and participants' empowerment. The empirical investigation is based on the analysis of SEA documents produced during 25 municipal spatial planning processes in Italy between 2004 and 2010. The study found that advances are more evident in the creation of cross-sectoral governance networks than in the involvement of citizens and civil-society organisations. SEA seems to be increasing transparency and expanding the scope of democratic control over spatial planning decisions, though the boundaries between experts, decision makers and citizens are clearly demarcated. To strengthen democratisation processes, the paper argues that all participants should consider themselves equally responsible within SEA networks, and be ready to question alternative environmental value systems that underpin spatial planning processes.

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