Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) SEA is a system of incorporating environmental considerations into policies, plans and programs. It is sometimes referred to as Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment. The specific term Strategic Environmental Assessment relates to European Union. For the most part an SEA is conducted before a corresponding EIA is undertaken. This will mean that information on the environmental impact of a plan will be able to cascade down through the tiers of decision making and be used in an EIA at a later stage. This should reduce the amount of work that needs to be undertaken. The concept of Strategic Assessments originated from regional development / land use planning in the developed world. In 1981 the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department published the Area-wide Impact Assessment Guidebook. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a key component of sustainable development establishing important new methods for protecting the environment and extending opportunities for participation in public policy decision making.

What is the difference between SEA and EIA? SEA can be defined as “the formalized, systematic and comprehensive process of evaluating the environmental impacts of a policy, plan or program and its alternatives, including the preparation of written report on the findings of that evaluation, and using the findings in publicly accountable decision-making” (Therivel et al., 1992). Strategic Environmental Assessment generally applies to high level plans and programs, and allows the identification, comparison and adoption of feasible options or alternatives (to mitigate against potential environmental impacts). Environmental Impact Assessment applies to individual construction or development projects. 

The role of SEA in policy and decision making If SEA is to be used as a supporting tool for sustainable development, then it must include not only formal policy documents under that name but also any instrument that gives effect to a policy. There is growing recognition of the need for the environmental assessment of the implications of policy, plan and program (PPP) alternatives at an early stage in the decision-making process. The early consideration of environmental factors in government decision making became an accepted part of World Bank policy in 1987. SEA has emerged as a structured proactive process to strengthen the role of environmental issues in decision making through the assessment of the environmental effects of policies, plans and programs For SEA to fulfill its purpose and be effective, it must be built into policy and planning decision making, adopted by policy makers, planners, sectoral bureaucratic officers and all the potential users who, at this point in time, prefer to ignore the existence of SEA than to risk sacrificing the incremental nature of their decision-making processes to the technocratic and rationalistic commitments imposed by the EA procedures used to date.

Sustainable development is now a generally accepted vision for any sort of development, but there is concern over how to achieve such a process. The concept of SEA can contribute to the sustainable development process. Over the last 10 years, SEA has become widely recognized by governments and development stakeholders worldwide as a valuable component of the sustainable development process. The role of SEA is often related to sustainability objectives, such that SEA can assist the decision making in improving the design of more sustainable policies and strategies (Noble and Storey) Consistent with the nature of an SEA system is its potential capacity to contribute to the achievement of sustainability aims.

A Pre-Screening Procedure for Determining SEA Requirements The following questions can be used to make a quick judgment about SEA requirements: What is the actual content of the proposal? Is it concerned only or primarily with broad general directions) ?; or Does it address or specifically include operational measures (projects, activities, etc.)? What policy area or sector is targeted in the proposal? Is it one known to have or likely to cause environmental effects (e.g. energy, transportation, housing, agriculture)?; and/or Are there components which are likely to have cumulative or long-term consequences for the environment (e.g. trade, industrial diversification, technology development)? What environmental considerations are raised by the proposal? Does it appear likely to: Initiate actions that will have direct or evident environmental impacts?; Raise broad environmental implications and/or issues that should be addressed ?; or Have marginal or no environmental consequences? Source: Sadler & Verheem (1996).

Some Principles for SEA (A) General: An SEA process should: Fit the purpose and be customized for application at the policy level or at the level of plans and programs; Have integrity, so that it is applied in accordance with the objectives and provisions established for it; and be effective in meeting those objectives; Be focused on delivering information necessary to the decisions to be made, and address the significant and key issues; Be driven by sustainable development principles (taking into account environmental, social and economic considerations); and therefore Be integrated with parallel analyses of economic and social dimensions and issues, and with other planning and assessment instruments and processes; Relate to project EIA where appropriate - perhaps through tiring mechanisms; Be transparent and open; Be practical, easy to implement, oriented to problem-solving, and cost-effective; Introduce new perspectives and creativity (it should “provide bonuses, not be a burden”); and Be a learning process (thus it is essential to start ‘doing SEA’ to gain experience).

SEA Steps : An SEA process should ensure that: Screening: responsible agencies carry out an appropriate assessment of all strategic decisions with significant environmental consequences; Timing: results of the assessment are available sufficiently early for use in the preparation of the strategic decision; ·Environmental scoping: all relevant information is provided to judge whether: (i) an initiative should proceed; and (ii) objectives could be achieved in a more environmentally friendly way (i.e. through alternative initiatives or approaches); Other factors: sufficient information is available on other factors, including socio-economic considerations, either parallel to or integrated in the assessment; Review: the quality of the process and information is safeguarded by an effective review mechanism;

Participation: sufficient information on the views of all legitimate stakeholders (including the public affected) is available early enough to be used effectively in the preparation of the strategic decision; Documentation: results are identifiable, understandable and available to all parties affected by the decision; Decision-making and accountability: it is clear to all stakeholders and all parties affected how the results were taken into account in decision-making; Post-decision: sufficient information on the actual impacts of implementing the decision is gained to judge whether the decision should be amended. ( Adapted from Sadler (1998b) and Tonk & Verheem (1998).