EIASEA14.07(Gajaseni, 2007)1 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

EIASEA14.07(Gajaseni, 2007) 1

Strategic Environmental Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)Assessment (SEA)


SEA is a process that:SEA is a process that:

• 1. Facilitates the sustainability concept into policy making

• 2. Addresses cumulative and large scale impacts at an early stage

• 3. Strengthens and supports project level in EIA


SEA is a decision-aiding rather than a decision-

making or as a tool forward planning and policymaking.


General guidelines are:

• 1. Flexible– they can be applied in a variety of polic

y setting

• 2. Practical– they do not necessarily require speciali

st information and skills

• 3. Systematic– they are based on logical, transparent a

nalysis


SEA addresses 5 questions:• 1. What are the potential direct and indirect

outcomes of the proposal?• 2. How do these outcomes interact with the

environment?• 3. What is the scope and nature of these env

ironmental interactions?• 4. Can the adverse environmental effect be

mitigated?• 5. What is the overall potential environmenta

l effect of the proposal after opportunities for mitigation have been incorporated?


A critical distinction of A critical distinction of environmental considerations environmental considerations

related to policy-making:related to policy-making:

• Indirect environmental effects will focus on implications and issues.

• Direct environmental effects will focus on impacts.


Why is SEA important?Why is SEA important?

• The rational for SEA is threefold:– 1. Strengthening project-level EIA– 2. Addressing cumulative and large

scale impacts– 3. Incorporating sustainability

consideration into the inner circles of decision-making


The ‘3P’s’The ‘3P’s’• Policies (course of action that

government will be pursuing for ongoing decision-making)

• Programmes (organised agenda/schedule of commitments that elaborates and implements policy)

• Plans (forward-looking strategy or design that elaborates and implements policy)


SEA of policies, plans and proSEA of policies, plans and programmes provides an grammes provides an early waearly warning mechanism to “anticipatrning mechanism to “anticipate and prevent”e and prevent” cumulative imp cumulative impacts and large scale change.acts and large scale change.


Benefits of SEA depend on:Benefits of SEA depend on:

• The provision made for SEA (e.g. legal v.s. administrative)

• The prior record of implementation and acceptance by decision-makers

• The scope and levels of process application

• The degree of sustainable development are considered


SEA trend has started in extenSEA trend has started in extending ding environmental analysis ienvironmental analysis into whole economynto whole economy rather tha rather tha

n into a single projectn into a single project


Institutional barriers to introducing Institutional barriers to introducing and implementing SEAand implementing SEA

• Insufficient political will (low priority given to environmental concerns)

• Lack of clear objectives (relating to environmental goals)

• Narrow definition of issues (overriding emphasis on economic growth)


• Absence of accountability (environment not considered by sectoral agencies)

• Pressure of decision-making (political events dictate quick response to issues)

• Bureaucratic “turf and territory” (environmental requirements encroach on other sectors)


SEA methodsSEA methods• 1. Use of matrices• 2. Computer modeling• 3. GIS• 4. Cost effectiveness analysis• 5. Cost-benefit analysis (CBA)• 6. Multi-criteria analysis (MCA)• 7. Aggregation methods– Index methods– Monetary methods– Source methods

• 8. Life-cycle analysis (LCA)


SEA Flowchart


7 major types of SEA:

• 1. Policy: EIA of existing policies or proposed changes

• 2. Issue-based: assessment of factors relating to a specified environmental issue

• 3. Geographical: regional and national environmental planning and assessment


• 4. Temporal: environmental planning and assessment for social and economic change

• 5. Technological: environmental assessment for technological innovation

• 6. Sectoral: EIA for alternative development options for entire sectors

• 7. Generic-project: framework EIA documents for similar projects


1. Policy SEA1. Policy SEA• It is most critical type of SEA.• Without policy SEA, nation can and do

continue on unsustainable development paths.

• The precision and detail required of policy SEA is generally far less than project-scale EIA.

• Policy SEA needs to be applied regularly and routinely to all government policy and legislative proposals.


• 4 major categories on institutional framework for SEA:– 1. SEA provided for principle in legal

framework to formal practice (US. Only)– 2. SEA provided for in principle but not

carried out formal practice - may occasionally be carried out informally (Australia and New Zealand)

– 3. SEA carried out informally, in practice but not in principle (Canada, Netherlands, UK.)

– 4. SEA not provided for either in principle or practice (most countries)


2. Issue-based SEA2. Issue-based SEA

• It aims to assess the impacts of all relevant sectors of the economy on single environmental management issue: Ex.– biodiversity conservation– reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

• It is still informal process but the advantage is the cross-sectoral approach.


3. Geographical SEA3. Geographical SEA

• It is an integrated assessment of environmental issues for past, present and proposed/future developments and land use throughout an entire region.


4. Temporal SEA4. Temporal SEA

• It is a planning for social and economic change is in theory one of the routine functions of governments at all levels.

• There is still a need for SEA of actual large-scale social, demographic and economic trends as a basis for identifying issues and formulating policy.


5. Technological SEA5. Technological SEA• SEA of new technologies and

technological change is an important issue.

• Ex: – Bio-technologies– Resource recovery– Recycling technologies– Energy generation – Pharmaceuticals


6. Sectoral SEA6. Sectoral SEA

• It is common form of SEA related to industry sectors within particular country.

• Examining potential environmental & social implications of all potential projects proposed for the same sector

• e.g. gas v.s coal v.s hydro v.s nuclear energy (in power sector)

• road v.s train v.s air (in transportation sector)


• Sectoral SEA is used extensively by multilateral and bilateral aid, loan, and finance institutions (World Bank).

• World Bank provided guidelines and sample of terms of reference (TOR) for:– 12 types of agricultural and rural development

projects (dams, fisheries, irrigation, agrochemicals)– 10 types of infrastructure development (road, ports,

water supply, waste management, housing, tourism)– 12 types of energy and industrial development

(pipelines and powerlines, power plants, chemical plants, food processing, timber processing, mineral processing)


SEA in actionsSEA in actions

• USA

• Canada

• Australia

• New Zealand

• European Commission– Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ger

many, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and UK

• Hong Kong


Types of SEA provisionTypes of SEA provision

• 1. Legislation (New Zealand, USA, Western Australia)

• 2. Administrative order or Cabinet directive (Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong)

• 3. Advisory guidelines or operational policy (UK, EC, World Bank)


Examples of SEA cases


No country routinely applies SNo country routinely applies SEA to all policies, plans and prEA to all policies, plans and pr

ogrammesogrammes..

ButBut SEA is best transitional instrumeSEA is best transitional instrument that leads more integrated, sustainant that leads more integrated, sustainability oriented policy making and plannbility oriented policy making and plann

ing.ing.

EIASEA14.07(Gajaseni, 2007)1 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

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