1. 1/18 Addressing health impacts through strategic environmental assessment (SEA) - current evidence and potential Thomas B Fischer Department of Civic Design, University of Liverpool Health impacts and SEA; 9 th International HIA conference; 9 October 2008

2. Contents What is SEA and what is the extent of its application? Requirements for addressing health through SEA Current evidence for the consideration of health through SEA Shortcomings and problems/ scope for improvement 2/18 Health impacts and SEA; 9 th International HIA conference; 9 October 2008

3. What is SEA and what is the extent of its application? SEA can be described as having the following three main meanings: SEA is a systematic decision support process, aiming to ensure environmental and possibly other sustainability [and health] aspects are considered in policy, plan and programme (PPP) making. In this context, SEA may support:  public planning authorities, private bodies (including international aid organisations/ development banks) to conduct: -structured, rigorous, participative, open and transparent EIA-based processes, particularly to plans and programmes; -participative, open and transparent, possibly non-EIA based flexible processes to policies/visions and policy plans;  cabinet type decision making, working as a flexible (non-EIA based) assessment instrument that is applied to legislative proposals and other policies, plans and programmes. SEA is an evidence based instrument, aiming to add scientific rigour to PPP making by applying a range of assessment methods and techniques. SEA provides for a structured decision framework, aiming to support more effective and efficient decision making, sustainable development and improved governance by establishing a substantive focus, for example, in terms of the issues and alternatives to be considered at different systematic tiers and levels. 3/18 Health impacts and SEA; 9 th International HIA conference; 9 October 2008

4. SEA applied in a wide range of different situations, including trade agreements, funding programmes, economic development plans, spatial and sectoral (eg transport, energy, waste, water) PPPs. SEA a legal requirement in at least 36 countries globally (among which 27 EU member states) Up to 10s of 1000s of SEAs produced each year globally Currently, European Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment is the best known SEA ‘framework law that establishes a minimum common procedure for certain official plans and programmes’ is the (‘SEA Directive’).  a systematic, pro-active and participative process. At the heart an environmental report, which is supposed to:  portray the relationship with other PPPs,  identify the significant impacts of different alternatives,  explain how the SEA was considered in decision making, and  provide information on the reasons for the choice of a certain alternative. Furthermore,  a non-technical summary needs to be prepared, and  monitoring arrangements for significant environmental impacts need to be put into place. 4/18 Health impacts and SEA; 9 th International HIA conference; 9 October 2008 What is SEA and what is the extent of its application?

5. 5/18 Health impacts and SEA; 9 th International HIA conference; 9 October 2008 What is SEA and what is the extent of its application?

6. SEA (as well as EIA) triggered initially by biophysical, rather than social concerns; this is, however, changing ‘However, the incorporation of HIA into other forms of assessment has traditionally been resisted for fear of losing its focus on health issues to environmental concerns, and of compromising its social model of health with the introduction of biophysical indicators.’ (Wright J, Parry J and Scully E 2005. Institutionalising policy-level HIA in Europe: is coupling HIA with SEA the next step forward? Bulletin of the World Health Organisation 83(6): 472-7).  Move towards sustainability appraisal 6/18 Health impacts and SEA; 9 th International HIA conference; 9 October 2008

7. Requirements for addressing health through SEA EU SEA Directive (27 EU member states): the likely significant effects(1) on the environment, including on issues such as biodiversity, population, human health, fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors, material assets, cultural heritage including architectural and archaeological heritage, landscape and the interrelationship between the above factors Formal requirements to consider health in SEA in Canada, New Zealand, Australia.. Kiev Protocol to the Espoo Convention 7/18 Health impacts and SEA; 9 th International HIA conference; 9 October 2008

8. Current evidence…  = term mentioned in book  = term mentioned in index = term specific chapter ClimateBiodiversityHealth Fischer et al (2008) EA Lecturers’ Handbook, ROAD Bratislava, 311pp  Fischer (2007) Theory and Practice of SEA, Earthscan, 186 pp  Jones et al (2005) SEA and Land Use Planning, Earthscan, 300pp  Dalal-Clayton & Sadler (2005). SEA, Earthscan  Schmidt et al (2004). Implementing SEA, Springer, 742pp  Therivel (2004). SEA in Action, Earthscan, 276pp  Morrison-Saunders & Arts (2004). Handbook of EIA and SEA follow-up, Earthscan, 338 pp.  Marsden & Dovers (2002). SEA in Australasia, Federation Press, 227 pp  Vanclay and Bronstein (1995). Environmental and Social Impact Assessment 8/18 Health impacts and SEA; 9 th International HIA conference; 9 October 2008

9. Current evidence… ‘Google’ search:  Strategic.environmental.assessment, health: 200,000 hits  Strategic.environmental.assessment, climate: 116,000 hits  Strategic.environmental.assessment,biodiversity: 100,000 hits 9/18 Health impacts and SEA; 9 th International HIA conference; 9 October 2008 Mention s Health Service Focus accident s Promot e healthy modes crime Air quality disabledrural Social inclusio n Monit- oring Scoping reports (total 14) 100%65%86%65%93% 15%36% 15% Environm. Reports (total 11) 100% 91%100%82%100%37%64%73%46% Consideration of health in the SEA of LTP2s By Paul Tomlinson; www.sea-info.net/files/general/Health_in_SEA_LTP2s.PDF

10. Content analysis of 30 LDF core strategy SAs (scoping / issues and options / final):  ‘Climate’ on average mentioned 32 times  ‘Biodiversity’ on average mentioned 37 times  ‘Health’ on average mentioned 47 times Current evidence… 10/18

11. Health Impacts connected with:  Access to health activities/services/social care  Health inequalities  Health of gipsies and travelling people  Health and safety  Open space  Biophysical aspects (soils, weather/climate/flooding, air)  Social aspects (satisfying employment/ work from home, unemployment, affordable housing, poverty, inequality, social exclusion, crime rates  Pollution, noise and light  Human behaviour (healthy lifestyles, leisure activities, food)  Other sectors/ activities (transport, waste)  Houses and buildings: healthier environments Objectives  health and well-being for all  Strong, healthy and just society, healthy communities  Promote health through cycling and walking HIA (Chester) Current evidence… 11/18 Health impacts and SEA; 9 th International HIA conference; 9 October 2008

12. 12/18 Current evidence…

13. Teignbridge core strategy final submission SA: includes very extensive and detailed tables on a range of assessment aspects. Current evidence… 13/18

14. Peterborough City Council Development Plan Documents; Sustainability Appraisal, Scoping Report; Peterborough City Council, December 2006: Current evidence… 14/18

15. Current evidence… 15/18

16. Current evidence… 16/18

17. Shortcomings and problems / scope for improvement Don’t speak the same language…  SEA: driven by biophysical factors and social scientists/planners speak  HIA: driven by Risk Assessors/ Health professionals’ speak Generic problems in English LDF practice:  Relationship with other PPPs  Generation and use of baseline data  Usefulness of data  Unrealistic alternatives  Types of impacts considered  No possibility to question developments 17/18

18. Resistance to incorporating the consideration of health impacts/ HIA into SEA, at least in EU member states this will hopefully be overcome now that there is a legally required assessment instrument Main emphasis should now be on enhancing partnership working between SEA and HIA advocates and practitioners. Particularly in connection with the emergence of spatial planning, this is a good moment for uniting planning and public health. Overall, it is clear SEA and HIA have a lot in common and there appears very little that divides them. Both are advocating a participatory and democratic process, which is supposed to create greater transparency and both have a very similar substantive focus. There is therefore, a great potential for greater shared learning and understanding to be happening. Shortcomings and problems / scope for improvement 18/18