“Strategic Environmental Assessment” Oriented to Marine Litter (SEAmarlitt): a New Approach to Diagnose Management and Governance in Brazil

Abstract

Objective: Develop and present a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) approach focused on marine litter. Theoretical Framework: SEA is a set of analytical and participatory approaches designed to integrate environmental and sustainability considerations into public policy decision-making. The development of new SEA approaches has allowed its use in different sectors and geographic areas. The creation of the “United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development” contributed to the development of SEA focused on marine litter. Method: The methodology applied is qualitative and was developed from two analysis methods: composition of the conceptual model to select the Elements of the Methodological Structures; and conceptual modeling to construct the conceptual model of the new SEA approach. Results and Discussion: It was possible to develop a conceptual model of the SEA approach oriented to marine litter (SEAmarlitt) composed of three groups and 13 classes, where each class represents an element of the conceptual model. Research Implications: The next challenge is to operationalize SEAmarlitt by applying its conceptual model to coastal regions of Brazil. This phase is crucial to test its efficiency and validate the model. Originality/Value: This study presents SEAmarlitt, an unprecedented methodological approach to SEA in Brazil focused on marine litter.