2

Slide1: 

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): Tools for Mainstreaming Environmental Sustainability Advanced Seminar in International Environmental Studies Presentation by Brendan FD Barrett, United Nations University 6 October 2006

Structure: 

Structure 1. Introduction 2. Case Study: About the New Ishigaki Island Airport 3. Discuss SEA 4. Discuss EIA 5. Case Study: M4 Relief Road (Wales) 6. Closing Remarks

Slide3: 

Barry Salder argues: “Environmental impact assessment is one of the most successful policy innovations of the 20th Century……”

Slide4: 

Lets look at the experience of the New Ishigaki Island Airport. Ground breaking ceremony will take place on 10th October 2006. Begins operation by 2013.

Slide6: 

3rd largest island in the Ryukyus 460 km southwest of Naha 280 km from Taipei 228 km2 in area Populated by 43,700 islanders (2003) Ishigaki is….

Slide7: 

Tourism essential to the future development of the island. Coral reefs are major attraction. Nansei Shoto Islands contain some of the most extensive and biologically diverse coral reefs in the western Pacific.

Slide8: 

Current airport built in 1943 and is sub-standard (e.g. 1,500m runway, cannot handle Boeing 767 jets.). Located close to Ishigaki City presenting noise and safety problems. Few flights from Tokyo (most direct from Naha). Passenger numbers (1.5 million in 2002, 1.8 in 2005) and freight steadily increasing. 11,300 flights per annum.

Slide9: 

Original proposal for new airport in the early 1970s. Main proponents: Okinawa Prefectural Government and Ishigaki Municipal Government. Support from Ministry of Transport (now Ministry for Land, Infrastructure and Transport) and Ministry of Finance. Commercial sector and public support. Estimated cost of construction is $US40-55 million.

Slide10: 

How the EIA evolved…..1970s-1980s 1976 - three sites identified. 1979 - preferred site on coral reef next to Shiraho Village. 1980 - Anti-airport Shiraho villagers formed local opposition group, with later support from international and Japanese environmental groups.

Slide11: 

How the EIA evolved…..1970s-1980s 1981 - 1st environmental impact statement (EIS) by private consultants. 1983 - 2nd EIS by private consultants. 1986 - 3rd EIS by Okinawa Prefectural Government. 1988 - Runway length reduced from 2,500 to 2,000 m and 4th EIS undertaken. 1989 - Site shifted to Karadake (north of island). New assessment started but never finished.

Slide12: 

How the EIA evolved - 1990 onwards….. 1996 - Environment Agency (now Ministry of Environment) announced proposal for preservation of coral reefs in the Shiraho area through national marine park designation. 1993 - Site of new airport shifted to Miyara (inland). 1998- 5th EIS completed in 1998. Process stalled by opposition from local farmers. WWF sponsored study reported on the potential impacts on the reef from red soil run-off.

Slide13: 

How the EIA evolved - 1990 onwards….. 2000 - Application to start construction. 2001 - Special committee recommends relocating terminal buildings to eastern side of airport. 2005 - Permission to construct the airport given by national government.

Slide15: 

The case study shows conflict between: - those favouring development and material progress (Ishigaki island dwellers). - those favouring harmonious relationship with nature and preservation of a way of life (Shiraho villagers). - NIMBYists (local farmers). - Post-materialists (Japanese and international conservation groups). New Ishigaki Island Airport represents a microcosm of the conflicting interests surrounding almost all development decisions……….

Slide16: 

SEA and project level EIA play key role in enabling interest groups make long-term informed decisions.

Slide17: 

Is this a good way to understand EIA and SEA? Start with the basics ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT + STRATEGIC

EIA and SEA share same origin: 

EIA and SEA share same origin US Tradition of Administrative Reform and Natural Resource Management National Environmental Protection Act 1969 Experience with Natural Resource Economics and Cost Benefit Analysis Emergence of a system of Global Environmental Governance 1972 Stockholm Environment Conference CBA - Places a monetary value upon non-economic variables such as health impacts of air pollution Recognition of need for rational planning as a tool to reconcile conflicts between development and environmental protection

Slide19: 

NEPA (1969) Influences US resource management tradition recognized the environment as the backbone of the economy and source of livelihoods. NEPA promoted efforts to prevent environmental damage through a systematic interdisciplinary approach to ensure appropriate consideration of unquantified environmental values. Clauses relevant to SEA contained in Section 102, with requirement for a detailed statement to accompany “proposals for legislation and other major federal actions significantly affecting the ….. environment.”

Course Module on SEA: 

Course Module on SEA See the work in progress at http://unudev.org/wp/?page_id=92

New module on EIASee http://unudev.org/wp2/?page_id=145: 

New module on EIA See http://unudev.org/wp2/?page_id=145

Wikis (online encyclopedia)See http://sea-wiki.unu.edu : 

Wikis (online encyclopedia) See http://sea-wiki.unu.edu

Slide23: 

Existing SEA Procedures Incomplete SEA Procedures SEA around the World

Slide24: 

EU Directive 2001/42/EC “To provide a high level of protection to the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans and programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development…..”

Slide25: 

UNECE SEA Protocol of 2003 seeks to: Ensure that environmental, including health considerations are thoroughly taken into account in the development of plans and programmes…. Also establishes clear and transparent procedures for SEA, and provides for public participation…

Slide26: 

What is SEA? Assessment of environmental effects of policies, plans and programmes Environmental issues included at earliest stage in planning process (allows consideration of alternatives often ignored in the project level EIAs) Facilitates long-term planning and anticipation of environmental problems Includes assessment of cumulative, indirect, synergistic, delayed, regional, trans-boundary and global impacts Reduces time and effort required in project level EIA by identifying issues and initiating baseline studies

Slide27: 

An instrument (process) that assists and facilitates decision-making. An instrument that acts at strategic levels of decision-making. Flexible, diversified, taylor-made to each decision process. Participated. According to Partidario, SEA is….

Slide28: 

Examples of Strategic Actions

Slide29: 

The SEA Process - An Overview

Slide30: 

Limitations of SEA Data collection is complex: SEAs cover large areas - sometimes several countries and large number of alternatives. Uncertainty regarding future socio-economic conditions and techologies. Strategic action may have no formal authorisation stage. SEA is inherently a political process. E.g. who decides whether a country needs nuclear energy and how? SEA as a concept is not yet politically accepted.

How SEA and EIA Interact?: 

How SEA and EIA Interact? National level decision(s) on technologies for final waste treatment, e.g. reuse, dumping or incineration and total treatment capacities SEA carried out to identify available options and assess their impacts Regional level decision(s) on where treatment sites will be located SEA assesses locational options and their environmental consequence Project level decisions on design and mitigation measures for each of the selected locations project EIAs are tiered to earlier assessments and decisions as such, they are specific, limited and to-the-point Source: Sadler and Verheem, 1995

Slide32: 

What is EIA? Systematic examination of the significant environmental impacts of projects. Process/preventative measure applied at the planning stage to ensure that development proposals are environmentally sound and sustainable. Tool to provide decision-makers and the public with environmental information.

Steps in the EIA Process: 

Steps in the EIA Process - Project Screening - is an EIA needed? - Scoping - which impacts and issues to be considered? - Description of the project/action and alternatives - Description of the environmental baseline - Identification of key impacts - Prediction of impacts - Evaluation and assessment of significance of impacts - Identification of mitigation measures - Presentation of findings in an Environmental Statement (including a non-technical summary) - Review of Environmental Statement - Decision-making - Post-decision monitoring - Auditing of predictions and of mitigation measures - Public Consultation

Step by Step Flowchart: 

Step by Step Flowchart

Slide35: 

How to assess environmental impacts? Type and nature - from biophysical to socio-economic Significance - sometimes small impacts can be highly significant - e.g. disturbance of nesting of pair of endangered birds (e.g. Aichi Expo 2005) Extent - local to global Timing - immediate or some time later (e.g. exposure to carcinogenic chemicals can be responsible for cancers 30 years later) Duration - short term (e.g. construction noise) to permanent (e.g. relocation of a village) Uncertainty - depends on the likelihood and consequences of the impact occurring Reversibility - some impacts are reversible (e.g. rehabilitation following decommissioning), others may be irreversible (e.g., CO2 emissions from vehicles)

Assessing Significance: 

Assessing Significance e.g, Loss of a Nationally important Site of Special Scientific Interest e.g. Loss of a local Nature Conservation area e.g., Indirect impact on national SSSI

Some failings of the EIA Process: 

Some failings of the EIA Process Full range of alternatives (including no development) not always considered (but see case from Japan on Moodle). Difficult to develop effective mitigation measures. Cumulative impacts often ignored or unquantified. Development agencies sometimes confused about the purpose of EIA (it is just bureaucratic red-tape in project development?). Detailed environmental statement sometimes seen as an end in itself. Tendency to produce litigation proof documents. Tendency to consult with public only after the decision has effectively been made. Public participation is reactive not interactive.

Slide38: 

Some benefits from EIA EIA can be used to modify and improve project design. Can ensure that project related resources are used effectively/efficiently EIA ensures incorporation of social and health aspects (e.g. worker migration, housing, education impacts, etc.) Helps with identification of measures for monitoring and managing impacts (including mitigation).

Slide39: 

Lets look at the experience of the M4 Relief Road around Newport (Wales) Plan unveiled in December 2004, estimated cost of 350 million UK Sterling (US$ 660 million). Planned to open in 2012.

Slide41: 

Background to the Project 1989 - South Wales Area Traffic Study (SWATs) commissioned (functions as an SEA), examining the existing and future performance of the highway network. 1991 - Secretary of State announced a number of new road projects, including the M4 Relief Road. Engineering consultants contracted to identify the preferred route for the Relief Road. Looked at options to the north and south of Newport. 1995 - Secretary of State announced the preferred route, passing to the south of Newport. 1999 - Common Appraisal Framework study published (an SEA). 2004 - Final route determined (after detailed assessment).

Slide42: 

Relationship between the SEA and EIA The SWATs report effectively committed the Government to the Relief Road. A new bridge had been constructed across the Severn Estuary effectively predetermining the need for a new Relief Road. Existing M4 could not be widened due to tunnel works on one part. EIA looked at over 40 alternative routes, before narrowing to 5.

Slide43: 

Relationship between the SEA and EIA Considerable opposition from local communities and environmental groups. Potential impacts on several Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (wetlands) and an area rich in archaeological sites. SEA (multi-model study) was conducted after the first EIA. There was no public participation in the SEA. SEA concluded that steps to reduce the demand for car journeys plus improved public transport could be a successful alternative to major road-building. It also recommended constructing a toll road.

Some Reflections: 

Some Reflections

Slide45: 

Computation in Bureaucratic Structure Issue = Costs & Benefits Conflict Judgment through Expertise Issue = Informed Decisions Bargaining in Representative Structure Issue = Power Differentials Agree Agree Disagree Disagree Beliefs about Causation/ Effects Settling Consensus - Building Preferences about Outcomes Kai N Lee (1994), Compass And Gyroscope: Integrating Science And Politics For The Environment

Slide46: 

There is still a lot of work to be done on SEA. A Miracle……in the making…..

Slide47: 

look beyond the narrow meaning of environment and keep the focus on sustainability; ensure a long-term perspective in a real strategic context; - clearly assume its socio-political role in the decision-making context. Again, Partidario reminds us that SEA, in its wider sense, is one possible instrument to assist this integration of sustainable development considerations at strategic levels of decision-making. To achieve that purpose it must however:

Thank you for your attention: 

Thank you for your attention