Strategic Environmental Assessment Research Articles

Urgency of Strategic Environmental Assessment (KLHS) for Spatial Planning of Permanent Storage Activities of Radioactive Associated Minerals

By Presidential Regulation Number 60 of 2019 concerning the National Policy and Strategy for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, BAPETEN has a role in preparing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (KLHS) for national nuclear policies, plans, and programs. One of the KLHS prepared is for storing Radioactive Associated Minerals (MIR). However, because radioactive mixed mineral products are by-products of mineral operations and extraction, with the authority of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), the preparation of the KLHS must be integrated into the regional government KLHS at the time of opening the mining area. This review proposes reasons for the importance of preparing a KLHS to determine the permanent location of MIR. The review research methodology consists of identifying regulations, screening for gaps in obstacles to current infrastructure conditions, and determining recommendations in preparing a KLHS in permanent storage. From the stages of identifying rules, it is known that determining spatial planning is required to prepare a KLHS. The screening gaps in infrastructure conditions show that the regional government still needs to gain knowledge capacity regarding the permanent storage of MIR. The results of this study recommend that BAPETEN can propose guidance and assistance in preparing KLHS to determine the spatial layout of the permanent storage location of MIR. BAPETEN must coordinate with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Environment to integrate KLHS for permanent storage spatial layout and identify the contents in the KLHS related to environmental carrying capacity and capacity. Keywords: Permanent Storage, Strategic Environmental Assessment (KLHS), Spatial KLHS, Radioactive Associated Minerals (MIR)

GIS-based modeling of the environmental vulnerability of the Amazon region to the upstream oil and gas activities

ABSTRACT To improve the security of investors in the petroleum industry and to bestow transparency and reliability to its licensing process, the Brazilian Government has recently implemented a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to evaluate the potential environmental effects of oil and gas exploration and production activities before the concession of areas. To provide robustness to SEA’s analysis stage, this paper aims to propose an innovative methodological approach to map the environmental vulnerability of the area under study, considering selected environmental receptors. This approach combines two techniques, one analytical and the other spatial: environmental risk analysis and spatial analysis. To better illustrate it, this paper presents a case study of the Solimões Sedimentary Basin. Findings show that the approach was able to indicate the more suitable areas inside the SEA region for the development of the O&G upstream activities, as well as to map the vulnerability of each analyzed environmental receptor, to the complete chain of activities, from the exploration for resources until the decommissioning of facilities. This hybrid technique proved to be suitable to the levels of detail required by SEAs and may allow the Government’s goals with it to be achievable, including the environmental issues earlier, in its sectorial PPPs.

Correction: Strategic environmental assessment for sustainable coastal zone management in Saudi Arabia, aligning with vision 2030

Correction: Strategic environmental assessment for sustainable coastal zone management in Saudi Arabia, aligning with vision 2030

Spatial multi-criteria analysis based on food web model results: application to a marine conservation area

Effective marine management requires balancing conservation and sustainable use of resources. Food web models are useful for simulating direct and indirect effects of management scenarios on ecosystem functioning by using multiple indicators. However, a key challenge is consolidating these indicators into a single, comprehensive, measure, which is often required to guide management decisions, such as in Strategic Environmental Assessment. This study applies spatial multi-criteria analysis to food web model outputs to develop a single index for different marine management applications. We applied this framework to the case of the “Tegnùe di Chioggia”, a Special Area of Conservation (SAC; IT3250047) under the Natura 2000 European network, located in the northern Adriatic Sea (Italy). This area, characterised by the presence of biogenic rocky outcrops, currently lacks a formal management plan. Using the Ecospace module of the Ecopath with Ecosim software, we simulated three management scenarios: 1) SAC expansion; 2) winter artisanal fishing in the SAC; 3) a combination of both. In line with ecosystem-based management, we focused on economically important trophic groups in the region, such as the Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, and striped venus clam, Chamelea gallina, which are present near the SAC. We also considered the efforts of the local fishing fleets. Ecosystem structure and functioning indicators, generated by the spatial food-web model, were linked to three criteria aligned with the management priorities of the area: nature conservation, aquaculture productivity, and fishing productivity. These criteria were aggregated into a final score to compare the management scenarios. The results showed that none of the scenarios would significantly alter community composition or ecosystem functioning compared to the current situation. However, they did show contrasting responses in the food web model. The SAC expansion scenario notably increased total biomass and commercial fish biomass, especially pectinids and cephalopods. The fishing scenario had a minimal impact on trophic groups. Ecosystem resilience and structure indicators were less sensitive to management scenarios than biomass indicators. However, the multi-criteria analysis revealed that the fishing scenario limited the benefits of expanding the SAC, due to reduced catches. The final score effectively ranked proposed scenarios, highlighting key indicators that influenced these variations. The proposed approach shows potential for supporting participatory modelling and engaging stakeholders in developing management scenarios.

The integration of the ecosystem approach in the BBNJ agreement—An initial assessment of limits and opportunities

AbstractThis paper carries out an initial assessment of the integration of the ecosystem approach in the recently adopted agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). The analysis seeks to assess whether or not such integration is likely to be effective. In this respect, this paper follows up on earlier analyses offered during the negotiating process and aims at offering some initial considerations on, and reactions to, the final text of the BBNJ agreement, in order to map the limits of this integration and the opportunities it may offer, for an effective implementation of the ecosystem approach in the context of the BBNJ agreement, focussing especially on article 7 (on general principles and approaches), on part III (on area‐based management tools, including marine protected areas) and part IV (on environmental impact assessments) with specific focus on strategic environmental assessment.

A Nature-based Solutions Framework for Embedding Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation into Urban Land Use Plans through Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).

Climate change impacts comprise a particular challenge for authorities when reconciling the implications of land use planning decisions. Whilst Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is typically applied to the development of urban land use plans, the selection of mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change impacts can have knock-on effects on nature. However, Nature-based Solutions (NbSs) could provide an innovative means of addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation without these knock-on effects. The main aim of this research is therefore to propose a conceptual framework for embedding NbSs into the main stages of the SEA process to potentially enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation in urban land use planning. This is achieved through a systematic literature review of academic and grey literature sources, with subsequent content analysis. This study demonstrates the value of matching these manifold NbS approaches to climate change impacts potentially addressed in SEA process stages and suggests how this might be achieved in practice focusing on urban land use plans.

Strategic environmental assessment for sustainable coastal zone management in Saudi Arabia, aligning with vision 2030

This research examines the role of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in promoting sustainable coastal zone management in Saudi Arabia, in alignment with Vision 2030. Focusing on key coastal regions, namely the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, the study explores SEA’s capacity to guide development activities toward long-term environmental sustainability. Through a comparative analysis of SEA and traditional Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), the study emphasizes SEA’s proactive, integrative, and participatory approach to decision-making. The findings illustrate how SEA enhances the strategic alignment of national environmental objectives by fostering resilient and sustainable strategies that balance development with conservation in Saudi Arabia’s coastal zones. Ultimately, SEA is identified as a crucial instrument in achieving Vision 2030’s sustainability goals, offering a pathway to safeguard coastal ecosystems while supporting economic growth.

SEAs for seas: Strategic environmental assessment for more strategic and environmentally-oriented marine spatial planning processes

The foreseen, and already ongoing, substantial increase in offshore renewable energy and corresponding infrastructures urges policymakers and scholars to carefully consider corresponding long-term environmental effects on the marine environment. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is becoming a standard tool for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) processes for enabling planners to develop more sustainable marine spatial plans. To explore how SEA can contribute to a more strategic and environmentally-oriented MSP practice, four SEA processes from four North Sea countries are examined, building on available SEA documents and semi-structured interviews. The results show that SEAs for MSP can take an exploratory or appraisal-oriented approach. Adopting an exploratory approach can open up comparatively more opportunities for SEA to contribute to MSP than an adopting an appraisal-oriented approach, but it requires an early initiation of the SEA within the larger planning process. Still, it does not imply that there is one single best method. Rather, the institutional context establishes the conditions for SEA processes to contribute to MSP practice. Particularly, the political pressures and prior sectoral policymaking for offshore renewable energy restrict what can be included in the scope of an SEA. Also, the limited knowledge on the larger dynamics of the marine environment complicate the assessment of transboundary and cumulative effects. Therefore, as future research continues working towards a robust scientific knowledge base on the marine environment, it is crucial that scholars and policymakers collaborate on a structural basis to bridge the gap between science and policy implementation.

Strategic environmental assessment of development corridors: The case of the Northern Economic Corridor in East Africa

Development corridors are spreading worldwide, creating both opportunities for economic growth and environmental risks. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) offers a potential framework for planning more sustainable corridors. However, research on SEA application and effectiveness in corridor planning is scarce, particularly in Africa. This case study assessed the procedural effectiveness of two SEAs for the master plan of the Northern Economic Corridor in East Africa. Data were collected from the SEA reports and analyzed using document analysis guided by best practice, strategic criteria derived from the literature. Results show the SEAs had limited procedural effectiveness, focusing on impact prediction and mitigation rather than developing a sustainability strategy. The case study offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of implementing SEA in complex development corridors. The paper makes policy recommendations for more strategic assessments, towards the establishment of more robust SEA systems and more successful corridor investments in Africa and beyond.

DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO SELECTION AND ORIENTATION PROPOSAL FOR KEY ECONOMIC SECTORS SUPPORTING THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF DIEN BIEN PROVINCIAL PLANNING (2021-2030) WITH A VISION TO 2050

The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the "Dien Bien Provincial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050" is conducted on the basis of Viet Nam's legislative framework, national and regional planning, as well as the economic development orientation of Dien Bien province. In this article, potentially environmentally impacting content of the planning will be discussed, in which, development scenarios will be proposed and feasible scenario for the development of Dien Bien Province, the development targets, and orientations of important economic sectors will be selected. Three growth scenarios have been proposed for Dien Bien Province: the baseline scenario, the high growth scenario, and the breakthrough scenario. The most feasible one is the high growth scenario. In this scenario, the main specific targets by 2030 are: The average economic growth rate in the 2021-2030 period is 10.51%/year, in which the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector and the industry - construction sector will grow at the rate of 6.54% and 18.64%/year, respectively, in which the figure for the industry sector is 17.30%/year and that of the service sector is 7.15%/year. Regarding the economic structure by 2030, the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector will account for 12.0%; the industry - construction sector will account for 44.3% (in which the share of the industry sector is 15.4%) and the figure for the service sector is 39.6% of the province’s Gross National Produc (GRDP). The research oriented the development of a number of important sectors such as: industry, construction, tourism, trade and services, and agriculture, forestry and fishery. Selecting feasible development scenarios with specific targets will contribute significantly to proposing development orientations for sectors having great impacts on the environment to support the SEA of Dien Bien Provincial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

Environmental Limitations of the Use of Solar Energy in the Carpathian Region

Abstract. The purpose of the work is to study the environmental limitations of using solar energy in the Carpathian region of Ukraine. Problem. A number of main restrictions affecting the location of solar power plants are highlighted, which are analyzed in the process of carrying out a strategic environmental assessment and are substantiated by calculation in the process of the environmental impact assessment procedure. For solar power plant projects, the main environmental limitation is the use of land areas. In the Carpathian region, plots under solar power plants must bypass agricultural land, recreational and touristic use, buffer zones of nature reserves. An important technical limitation is the ability to connect solar power plants to electrical networks. Methodology. In the course of the research, the regression analysis of the dependence of the amount of electricity produced by the experimental solar power plant at the Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas on meteorological parameters was further developed using statistical processing of a series of observations. Results. Originality. It was determined that the air temperature has the greatest influence on the production of electrical energy with a correlation coefficient of 0.919. A direct linear relationship indicates an increase in power generation with an increase in air temperature up to +250C. Relative humidity has a fairly significant effect on the generation of solar energy. The resulting correlation coefficient of 0.776 indicates a close relationship between the two data series. When the humidity increases to 76%, the production of electricity by solar photovoltaic panels increases and decreases with a further increase in humidity from 75 to 100 %, which is associated with an increase in cloudiness under such weather conditions. Wind speed also has a strong correlation with solar power generation. Electricity production increases in conditions of low wind or almost windless weather with a wind speed value of up to 2.9 m/s and decreases with a further increase in wind speed. Practical value. The obtained significant regularities will be of practical importance for the justification of environmental restrictions when using solar energy for the conditions of the city of Ivano-Frankivsk.

Pendampingan Penyusunan Kajian Lingkungan Hidup Strategis sebagai Dasar dalam Pembangunan Berkelanjutan di Provinsi Kalimantan Tengah

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are agreed-upon common goals that must be met by all nations by 2030. Efforts to meet the SDG targets are a national development priority that necessitates the coordination of planning policies at the national and regional levels. In Central Kalimantan, the provincial and district/city governments are currently preparing various Strategic Environmental Assessment documents (SEA). The goal of this activity is to increase the working group's and experts' understanding of the principles of sustainable development that have become the basis and integrated into the development of a region, so that they can provide recommendations for environmental considerations at the strategic decision-making level, particularly after the 2024 joint national and provincial election. It has been carried out to reduce the obstacles that have previously been a problem by providing technical guidance on various tools for preparing and validating SEA. Following the training, it was discovered that the understanding and mastery of district/city working groups and university experts could improve compared to before the assistance series.

State of the World's Rivers

In this review, we thoroughly analyze the state of global rivers, focusing on their physical and ecological characteristics as well as management strategies. The review results have helped us generate four recommendations. Firstly, rivers should be managed under a legally binding global accord at the basin level. Secondly, challenges related to river pollution and inappropriate project implementation can be mitigated by adopting newly defined strategic environmental assessments and the United Nations System of Environmental Economic Accounting. Thirdly, we need data from the latest scientific sources, such as geospatial sources, to better understand rivers at different scales as composite systems. The last recommendation calls for taking into account climate change concerns in river management approaches. We also outline a proposition for developing a river monitoring and assessment program in order to perform comprehensive and planet-wide river assessment. The article elaborates on the strategies for achieving these recommendations.

Actors in the spotlight: scrutinising how actors affect strategic environmental assessment towards sustainability in municipal master plans

ABSTRACT Changing the paradigm towards sustainability falls implicitly in transforming the urban systems, as most of the world's population lives in cities. The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process is relevant in this context because it supports the evaluation of the sustainability of the plans and promotes open and accountable decision-making. However, SEA processes are embedded in a broader decision-making context, where the different roles of the actors and their impacts on the planning process remain unclear. This study explores the contributions of the SEA actors and how they influence the outcomes of SEA towards sustainability, employing a case study research design and a content analysis on the SEA of 12 Municipal Master Plans (MMP) in Portugal. Results show that public participation tends to be weak and is only sought after all decisions have been made in the planning process. The study revealed that the SEA practitioner’s role is distanced from the MMP planning team, constraining their capacity to influence the plan development. The results highlighted the significance of initiating actors’ involvement at the beginning of the assessment process and improving the knowledge exchange between the actors. These strategies have the potential to foster collaboration, transparency, and a more integrated approach to SEA.

Study on rapid policy-based strategic environmental assessment-taking China's regional development policy of Zhejiang Pilot Free Trade Zone as an example

Strategic Environmental Assessment(SEA) is acknowledged to be an important decision support tool. SEA concerns potential environmental impacts of decisions made by policy, plan and programs. At present, policy-based SEA is still in the exploratory stage in China. The development of policy-based SEA is extremely slow due to institutional and technical difficulties. In practice, the time from policy proposals to policy implementation is relatively short. So the corresponding policy-based SEA should reflect the characteristics of rapidity, centre on the seriously negative impact that may be caused policy implementation, and provide early and initial warnings.A simple and rapid framework was designed for policy-based SEA in this study. The framework includes four parts, namely, policy analysis, eco-environmental impact identification, eco-environmental sensitivity assessment, policy recommendations. Following this framework, regional development policy of Zhejiang Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) was assessed. Results reveal that: 1)seriously negative environment impacts may arise from petroleum refining and chemical industry, oil and gas storage and transportation, iron ore transportation, liquid bulk commodities transportation. 2) Central Daishan area, Shengsi archipelago, Taohua Island, Liuheng island in Zhejiang FTZ is relatively of high eco-sensitivity, thus the fore-mentioned activities should be environmentally friendly or restricted in these areas. 3)In the future, continuous efforts should be made to promote sealing and automation of petroleum refining, chemical industry. Green petrochemical manufacturing technology utilization is recommended to reduce pollution from the source. Further, accelerating the construction of transportation pipelines is suggested in order to reduce air pollutants emissions caused by vehicle transportation activities. Fishery stock enhancement and releasing is recommended to counteract negative impact on fishery caused by iron and liquid bulk commodity marine transportation.

Climate change adaptation mainstreaming through strategic environmental assessments. An in-depth analysis of environmental indicators from spatial plans in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (Italy)

Climate change adaptation, CCA henceforth, is nowadays a shared concern, deeply investigated and advocated by international research and political organisations. However, both CCA implementation and its monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are challenges yet to be properly addressed. From a spatial planning perspective, local plans are the land-use-oriented tools with the highest potential to enhance CCA operativity. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is also acknowledged to be a key instrument to integrate climate change concerns and hence, to monitor and evaluate climate change (CC) risks and CCA efforts. This study addresses two hypotheses, i.e., i) indicators included in SEAs' spatial plans may be used at the service of CCA M&E, ii) the full extent of indicators can be captured by multi-level planning analyses. To this aim, this study provides an in-depth analysis, through a multi-step systematic categorization, of the indicators used within the SEA of regional and municipal plans in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (Italy). This study brings novelty in the SEA research field by bridging the climate risk theoretical principles to the methodological approach for analysing SEAs' indicators, which are classified within the risk function frame. Key insights come from the metrics, the indicators' explicitness for CCA, and the indicators' extent into the climate risk function. Finally, the paper paves the way for further research of CC- and CCA-related indicators in both spatial planning and other public sectors to support CCA mainstreaming through SEAs.

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

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.

Conceptual metaphors in international agreements representing ecological discourse (as exemplified in protocol on strategic environmental assessment in Russian, English and French)

Conceptual metaphors in international agreements representing ecological discourse (as exemplified in protocol on strategic environmental assessment in Russian, English and French)

Can Korea maintain environmental standards? The implications of shifting EIA review privileges to ministerial affiliates

South Korea's environmental assessment (EA) system previously relied on the Korea Environment Institute for independent reviews of environmental impact statements. In mid-2022, review privileges were expanded to five institutions including four new organizations that are direct affiliates or subsidiaries of the Ministry of Environment. This diversification aims to improve the EA process, but concerns exist regarding the adequacy of the plans and the lack of prior preparation. The current expansion, focusing on Ministry of Environment affiliates, raises concerns about diminished autonomy and a potential regression in independent review. The authority's initiative to enhance the efficiency of the EA system through diversifying review institutions does not fundamentally address current needs in Korea. This paper argues the most urgent issues in the evolution of the current EA system in Korea. To ensure an effective EA system in the face of climate change and broader environmental challenges, reforms are needed. These reforms should prioritize strengthening consultant capabilities, ensuring independent reviews, reinstating the strategic EA function, and transitioning to a sustainability assessment system.

Digitalization as a guarantee of the right to environmental information

The article is devoted to the study of the legal framework for the use of information technologies as a component of the legal mechanism for realization of the right to environmental information. The author notes that in forming the legal framework for digitalization of environmental relations, the need to use digital technologies to create conditions for universal accessibility of environmental information and to raise environmental awareness is crucial. The author emphasizes that digitalization is at the same time a guarantee of the constitutional right of citizens to have access to information on the state of the environment. A systematic analysis of the legal provisions which form the basis for the digitalization of environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment and which serve as guarantors of the right to environmental information is carried out. The author emphasizes the need to improve the State system of environmental monitoring and information support of public administration. The article examines the service of recording the facts of environmental damage caused by emergencies, events, and armed aggression of the Russian Federation “EcoThreat”, which aims at recording the facts of environmental damage to the environment not only for prompt response, forecasting, management decision-making, reporting and planning regarding the recorded facts of environmental damage, as well as to ensure that citizens can exercise their rights in terms of free access to up-to-date information on recorded facts of damage to the environment as a result of emergencies, events, and armed aggression of the russian federation. It is summarized that the significant potential of digital technologies for social development is important for ensuring public access to the environmental sphere, expanding cooperation of civil society with public authorities and business, opening up new opportunities for the realization of environmental rights and meeting the environmental needs of citizens, and ensuring an improvement in the quality of the environment and the range of public services.