METAP-PAP/RAC training module on ICZM

1. METAP-PAP/RAC training module on ICZM Module 2: Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in coastal zone management

2. 1. What is SEA? • What is SEA? • What are its objectives? • What are the methods? • What is the outcome? • What are the limitations and risks? • How does SEA work in ICZM?

3. 2. SEA: Definition “Strategic Environmental assessment” is the systematic and comprehensive process of evaluating the environmental effects of a policy, plan or program and its alternatives. Source: The Practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment, by Riki Thrivel and Maria Rosario Partidario, 1996

4. SEA: looks answers to 5 questions: • What are the potential direct and indirect outcomes of the proposal? • How do these outcomes interact with the environment? • What is the scope and nature of these environmental interactions? • Can the adverse environmental effects be mitigated? • What is the overall potential environmental effect of the proposal after opportunities for mitigation have been incorporated? Source: Canadian Guideline on SEA, 2000

5. SEA: 5 reasons to follow SEA in ICZM • aims for sustainability • brings stakeholders together • helps towards systematic planning • considers environmental impacts • works as a tool for mitigation

6. 5 reasons why SEA is often NOT applied yet in planning • requires systematic planning • requires transparency • requires stakeholder participation • requires for environmental considerations • requires a change in values, attitudes and use of resources

7. 3. Environmental policy and SEA • Many general environmental agreements and conventions include a requirement for environmental assessment • Biodiversity Convention 1992 • or a request for public participation • World Charter For Nature 1982

8. Convention on EIA in a Transboundary Context 1991(The Espoo Convention) • UN/ECE • one country has to inform those countries that are potentially going to be affected and invite them to participate • a protocol on SEA under preparation in connection with the Espoo Convention

9. The EU SEA directive EU SEA directive aims at: • preservation, protection and improvement of environmental quality • protection of human health • prudent and rational utilisation of natural resources • based on the precautionary principle

10. The EU SEA directive • The SEA directive requires the integration of environmental considerations into plans and programs which set a framework for future development. • The instrument for assessing environmental consequences of plans and programs is the SEA

11. The EU SEA directive • Sustainable Development as guiding a principle • Definition:“To cover the needs of the present generation without compromising the possibility of future generations to cover their needs.”

12. Energy Waste Industry (including mineral extraction) Telecommunications Tourism Transport infrastructure (including transport corridors, port facilities, airports) Urban and country planning Land use Water resources management The EU SEA directivePlans to be considered are strategic plans in:

13. The EU SEA directive • Plans and programs have to be changed, if necessary, in the light of environmental information. • This information is best provided by means of a systematic approach, i.e. by SEA

14. Mediterranean regional policies • presentation by PAP/RAC

15. Non-binding support • OECD Environmental Strategy 2001 • enhances public participation in decision making • financing bodies: World Bank 2002

16. Environmental Policy – national level In order to be implemented, the policy has to be defined and substantiated by • Environmental legislation • Regulations (standards, guidelines etc.) • Enforcing agencies

17. Environmental Policy Important “soft” issues: • capacity (in public agencies, private firms, NGOs): training • public awareness: education

18. Short presentations SEA in national legislation and environmental policy in the participants´country (–ies)

19. Towards SEA Reasons and motivations for SEA

20. SEA: a sustainability element in decision making The SEA, in assessing effects, has to take into consideration the following three dimensions and their interlinkages: • economic • social • environmental

21. It uses existing information models expert opinions experience common sense public views decision makers needs It helps to look at interlinkages between economic, ecological and social aspects to weigh different alternatives to build scenarios to cope with risk assessment SEA: making a planning process more logical and broadly approached

22. SEA: raising public awareness • the public is informed • the public is activated • the public is taken into the planning process • the public includes the stakeholders, the general public living in the area and anyone interested in the matter

23. SEA: for historical reasons • EIA (environmental impact assessment) • CIA (cumulative impact assessment) • IEA (integrated environmental assessments) • participatory planning • participation in decision making

24. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) • Aims: • identify potential environmental impacts of a project • identify mitigation measures • provide opportunities for the public to get information and to present their views

25. EIA • Objectives • identifies projects that are environmentally unacceptable • finds ways to mitigate their adverse environmental impacts • provides material for decision making process (EIA, permits etc.)

26. EIA • Conditions: • institutional framework • information on the local environment • information on the project (plans) • tools for the assessment

27. EIA • Main steps: • deciding whether the activity needs an EIA • planning the EIA: its scope and content • informing the public and hearing their views on the EIA plan • carrying out the assessment • informing the public on the EIA result, hearing their views on it • decision making process

28. EIA • Tools • existing information • models • expert opinions • experience • common sense

29. EIA • Limitations, risks • predictions of a future situation • results of computer models considered as “true” • political issues in the decision process • EIA is limited to a specific project

30. EIA • Important questions: • how to deal with issues where there is great uncertainty? • how to integrate the assessments of social, economic and ecological issues? • how to identify the relevant information from a massive database? • how to get the decision makers to take the outcome into consideration?

31. The Planning Hierarchy The main steps with which to deal

32. Policy Strategy Plan Project Implementation O & M Decommissioning

33. Planning Hierarchy 2: Who is doing What in Planning?

34. Government / Population Policy Strategy Specialised Group Specialised Agency, Region, Community Plan Project Private Person, Private Company, Public Entity Implementation Owner / Contractor O & M Owner Decommissioning Owner / Contractor

35. Planning Hierarchy 3: Environmental Assessment and Environmental Management related to the various steps in the Planning Hierarchy.

36. Policy Strategy Plan Project Implementation O & M Decommissioning SEA EIA Environmental Management and Monitoring (EMM)

37. Planning Hierarchy 4: An example from the IVZM Sector

38. Policy Integrated coastal zone policy: assessing the requirements and identifying goals Expert Committee: defining main sectors (tourism, fisheries, housing, nature protection) and stakeholders; Master Plan Strategy Specifying the needs and options for a region; choice of the alternative Plan Tourist resort, Bay X, detailed design Project Implementation Construction O & M Operation and maintenance Decommissioning Decommissioning

39. EIA: applying models

40. CIA • Cumulative Impact Assessment • considering not only a specific project, but also other projects (already realised, planned, to be implemented independently from the project, a condition for the project or a consequence thereof) • focus on a region (e.g. river basin) instead of a specific site

41. IEA • Integrated Environmental Assessment • an approach for research to assess different issues (e.g. eutrophication, tourism, agriculture) simultaneously to show the issue in a more comprehensive way for the decision maker • it often includes the use of indicators • and development of scenarios

42. Participatory planning • A planning approach or philosophy which includes all interested parties (“stakeholders”) • Special emphasis is on participation of the public, i.e. the population living in the project area and/or affected by it

43. Participatory planning • Stakeholders • owner or “author” of the project • involved authorities • planners and contractors • project beneficiaries • project affected persons (PAPs)

44. Participatory planning • Tools • pubic hearings • participation of PAP representants • making reports available publicly • legal grievance system • not only giving information, but also receiving it and taking it seriously

45. Participation in decision making • Variation I: people are informed of a decision • Variation II: people are informed of the process before the decision is made • Variation III: people may participate in the process before the decision making (planning the decision) • Variation IV: people may participate in the decision making (agreeing on the decision) • Variation V: people may appeal against the decision

46. Case presentation • motives and reasons for carrying out SEA in an ICZM process in the country of the participant

47. SEA – step by step • including a strategy for participation and assessment into the ICZM planning process • It should include • the aims, timing, methods for participation in each step; members of planning groups; the importance and function of the participation • in which stages alternatives are analysed • how to collect and distribute information • methods, timing and reporting of the entire assessment

48. Preparation of a state of the environment report use previous material list strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities Study environmental impacts of existing ICZM plans from monitoring results Steps

49. Include a vision for sustainable development for the region Integrate environmental aspects to the contents of the ICZM plan SEA steps

50. Report of the assessment this can be linked with the plan or provided as a separate report Monitoring include a monitoring programme for the ICZM plan and to its SEA elements SEA steps