STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT EFFECTIVENESS AND THE INITIATIVE FOR THE INTEGRATION OF REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN SOUTH AMERICA (IIRSA): A MULTIPLE CASE REVIEW

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (04) ◽  
pp. 515-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
CLAUDIA KIS MADRID ◽  
GORDON M. HICKEY ◽  
MICHEL A. BOUCHARD
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Project Planning ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
South American ◽  
Case Review ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Agriculture Products

Over the last decade, South American countries have been promoting physical integration of the territory in response to regional export-driven industrialisation policies and the global demand for agriculture products, livestock, and energy sources. A prominent example of this is the Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA), which was launched at the Meeting of South American Presidents in 2000. At the time of writing, 514 infrastructure projects (including roads, pipelines, waterways, dams and telecommunications systems), with an estimated investment of US$69 billion, had been initiated. Importantly, previous similar development processes in the region have caused serious negative environmental and social impacts. Therefore, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been mandated to ensure that the social and environmental issues are adequately addressed in the project planning process. This paper identifies the conditions under which: (a) the SEAs of the IIRSA projects have been undertaken, and (b) the Action Plans have been (or will be) implemented. Using case studies, it analyses whether the SEAs that have been carried out for the IIRSA's projects can be considered effective under these conditions. Finally, drawing on the case study findings, potential ways for improving SEA performance and maximising effectiveness in South America are discussed.

Integrating Environment into Development Strategy of Tianjin Binhai New Area through Strategic Environmental Assessment

2012 ◽  
Vol 178-181 ◽  
pp. 820-824
Author(s):  
Li Li Tian ◽  
Ya Fei Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Atmospheric Environment ◽  
Land Resource ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Offshore Area ◽  
Tianjin Binhai New Area

Some strategic environmental assessment (SEA) pilot cases in China strive to integrate environmental issues into the planning from the beginning. One of them is the SEA for development strategy of Tianjin Binhai New Area. The SEA adopted an interactive assessment mode with the decision-making process and predicted the environmental impacts of the development strategy on land resource, water resource, energy, surface water, atmospheric environment, and ecosystem of land area and offshore area. The future development strategy of circular economy and low-carbon economy in Tianjin Binhai New Area was also analyzed. Finally, experience from the SEA case was discussed. The case study shows that support from non-environmental agencies, early integration of SEA process and planning process, interactive assessment mode, and sensible environmental protection strategy facilitate the integration of environment into decision-making.

scholarly journals Strategic Environmental Assessment in the Application of Preventive Protection for Wind Farm Noise—Case Study: Maestrale Ring Wind Farm

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
pp. 6174
Author(s):  
Boško D. Josimović ◽  
Aleksandar Cvjetić ◽  
Božidar Manić
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Development Stage ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment

Determining the spatial position of wind turbines is the initial and most important phase in the development of a wind farm project. In this sensitive phase, all potential problems that may arise in the later stages of project development should be prevented by means of spatial and urban planning instruments. This makes it possible to achieve maximum use of the potential of wind in a particular space and, thus, fulfil the technical and economic requirements of the project while respecting the goals of environmental protection in that same area, through preventive protection. Therefore, it is essential, even at the earliest planning and development stage of a wind farm project, for the requirements that are important for optimal spatial solutions to be balanced. In this process, strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is a support to the planning process and an invaluable instrument for finding optimal spatial solutions for the possible key spatial impacts of wind power with regard to noise, shadow flicker, ornithofauna and chiropterofauna. The weakness of SEA can be seen in its predominant application of expert qualitative methods that bring with them subjectivity, since they depend on expert knowledge and skills. This paper presents the aspect of noise impact assessment and its inclusion in the SEA for the Maestrale Ring wind farm in Serbia. The results of the research indicate how it is possible to achieve the principle of objectivity in the process of multicriteria expert evaluation by including the results of a partial impact assessment of the noise from wind farms, using results obtained from software modeling of the spatial dispersion of wind turbine noise in the SoundPlan 8.1 software package in the SEA process. These quantitative results predicting the noise level were used in a semi-quantitative method of multicriteria evaluation in the SEA through the definition of criteria to determine the ranking of impacts, which is elaborated in the paper. The results also show the significant of the contribution of applying a methodological approach based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods in SEA. These methods positively affect the application of the principle of preventive protection through the optimal selection of the number and position of wind turbines on one hand and the objectivity of drawing conclusions based on which strategic decisions are made in the final phase of the SEA process, on the other.

scholarly journals The Potential of Strategic Environmental Assessment to Improve Urban Planning in Sierra Leone

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 9454
Author(s):  
Prince T. Mabey ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Abu J. Sundufu ◽  
Akhtar H. Lashari
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Political Will ◽  
Development Framework

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a proactive and collaborative method for environmental management designed to integrate environmental considerations into decision-making; and it is good for Sierra Leone. To understand whether SEA would be useful in the context of Sierra Leone, the authors interviewed 64 out of 78 experts face to face from March to July 2019. In addition, government policies and regulatory documents on environmental management and sustainable development, published articles served as secondary sources of data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. These Sierra Leonean experts agreed that SEA would be useful for integration and achievement of improved sustainable urban planning strategies. However, the barriers identified to integrating SEA include: not addressing environmental issues during the preparation of policies and programs, insufficient political will, the absence of clear objectives, targets, principles and approaches, overlapping mandates among environmental institutions, and inadequate institutional coordination and non-integrated development framework as barriers to integrating SEA into their work. The study shows that SEA has the potential to have a positive impact on environmental concerns in decision-making, but it would need to be supported by stronger political will, legal frameworks, and improved technical guidance from the policy perspective. Moreover, we propose a conceptual framework for the inclusion of SEA into the urban planning process in Sierra Leone.

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.

Stakeholders Perspectives on the Use of Indicators in Water Resources Planning and Related Strategic Environmental Assessment

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (01) ◽  
pp. 1950001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Santos Coelho ◽  
Pedro S. Coelho ◽  
Paula Antunes ◽  
Tomás B. Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Water Resources Planning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Integrated Water Management ◽  
Resources Planning

Water resources planning is currently designed to meet emerging challenges and encompassing a more comprehensive and integrated water management. The main focus of current water resources planning is to promote good water resource conditions through the implementation of innovative water policies. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to characterize and assess the status of water resources, monitor the implementation of planned actions, disseminate information and support the decision-making process. Indicators are often regarded as appropriate tools for supporting these tasks, although their use in this context is not imperative. The present study intends to explore the stakeholder perspective on the role of indicators in the water resources planning and management processes and their strategic environmental assessment process using a Portuguese case study. To achieve this objective, semi-structured interviews with the various stakeholder groups involved were conducted. The treatment of the obtained data using content analysis shows that the interviewees consider indicators to be an essential tool for supporting water resources planning. Some participants express concerns and suggest changes to the selection models and to the communication and decision-support capacity of the sets of indicators used. All stakeholders in the process consider that improvements to the indicators to be used in future processes are possible. In light of the results, it can be concluded that there is a long way to go for indicators to be used to promote better communication with stakeholders and to support decision-making processes; simultaneously, they can form the basis for the review and development of the subsequent cycle of the planning process.

Application of Strategic Environmental Assessment as a Land Use Planning Tool in India : A Case of Gurgaon-Manesar Development Plan, Haryana, India

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (02) ◽  
pp. 1650017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debojyoti Mukherjee ◽  
Asha Rajvanshi
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Development Plan ◽  
Land Resources ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Development Plans

Lack of comprehensive land use planning in India has posed significant challenges in achieving more optimal utilisation of land resources. This has also limited the opportunities for developing land use plans that adequately reflect the rationale and objectives of planning. This calls for developing a comprehensive and holistic approach to review the compatibility of actions associated with development plans involving multiple sectors with the ground realities. This paper is an attempt to apply strategic environmental assessment (SEA) as a promising tool to identify environmental risks and deficiencies in the land use planning process in India. The paper draws on the experience of applying SEA to Gurgaon-Manesar Development Plan for 2031 and elaborates on the merits and usefulness of adopting SEA in land use planning in the Indian context.

scholarly journals STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF STATE PLANNING DOCUMENTS IS A VECTOR OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Chernykhivska ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Territorial Development ◽  
State Planning ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Use Of Resources

The article reveals the conceptual aspects of the implementation of sustainable development at the local territorial level through the application of strategic environmental assessment procedures in Ukraine in the context of decentralization of management. Emphasis is placed on the importance of local territorial development through strategic environmental assessment and implementation of the principles of sustainable development, which our country needs today on the path to European integration. The scientific and practical relevance of the proposed study is due to the need to develop and improve effective regulatory economic mechanisms that can ensure sustainable development at the local level through the effective conduct of strategic environmental assessment of state planning documents. The article is devoted to applied issues of implementation and realization of sustainable development at the local level. The theoretical essence and content of strategic environmental assessment are studied. Sustainable development is considered as a necessary and integral element of local development as a basis for harmonious ecological and economic development of the territory on the basis of the most efficient use of resources and preservation of potential for future generations. The subjects of SEA at the local level and their functions are generalized. SEA has been shown to provide a focus on a comprehensive analysis of the potential environmental impact of planned activities and to use the results of this analysis to prevent or mitigate environmental impacts in the strategic planning process. Examples of ensuring the principles of sustainable development in the conduct of SEA of state planning documents are proposed. The relationship between the basic principles of sustainable development and SEA is revealed. The expediency of integration of strategic ecological assessment into sustainable development of the territory is substantiated. Prospects for the elimination of negative environmental consequences from the implementation of the proposed strategic actions with the conduct of SEA are outlined. The main tasks of SEA in the implementation of sustainable development at the local level are identified.

scholarly journals DEMATEL operation as supporting tool in defining Strategic issue of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): A case study of SEA for development plan of Jombang Municipality

2021 ◽  
Vol 916 (1) ◽  
pp. 012031
Author(s):  
I N S Wijaya ◽  
E E Nurlaelih
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Environmental Issue ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Development Plan ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Strategic Issue ◽  
Municipal Level

Abstract The difficulty in performing Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the municipal development planning process has not merely concerned with aspects such as time, data, and budget for the project. One crucial problem involves the limitation of knowledge and practical capability of the local government to conduct the analysis. At the municipal level, defining the environmental issue has become a catastrophe in the decision-making process. Most Indonesian municipal governments have difficulties in drafting the most strategic environmental issue regarding mess ecological phenomena. Meanwhile, the most strategic issue plays vital roles for developing the scenario of the development plan. This paper aims to demonstrate the application of the DEMATEL Technique in defining the strategic environmental issue at a municipal level. In addition, this paper examines the SEA process of Jombang Municipality, especially the conducted analysis in assisting the municipal government decision-making towards Jombang’s most strategic environmental issue. As a result, the DEMATEL has proved to be the effective technique to draw the logical interrelation map among the critical environmental issues. Further, upon applying the interrelation map, the most influencing issue for others are feasible to be identified and defined as the most strategic environmental issue.

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