strategic environment assessments in eastern europe, caucasus & central asia

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UNDP Support to Applying Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in the Eastern Europe, Caucasus and

Central Asia (EECCA) region

Henrieta MartonakovaUNDP Regional Centre for Europe and the CIS

7th Ministerial Conference ‘Environment 4 Europe’Astana, 21-23 September 2011

Outline

What is SEA?

SEA projects

Findings and lessons learned from SEA interventions

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What is SEA?

Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment

Environmental Impact Assessment

Policy

Plan

Programme

Projects

Source: OECD. 2006. Applying Strategic Environmental Assessment: Good practice Guidance for Development Co-operation.

o Up-streaming environmental considerations into the decision-

making hierarchyo Responsibility of developer / planning authority

Link between SEA and planning process

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Logical linkages between P/Ps and SEA

Review and finalising of the proposed P/P

Initiation

Development and comparison of alternatives

Analysis of detailed context and issues

Decision-making

Elaboration of P/P

Environmental ReportDetermine detailed context and issues

Contribute to development and comparison of alternatives

Review and finalise environmental report

Determine need of SEA

SEA

Scoping

Taking into account

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SEA projects

: SEA of the Bakhchisaraysky District Development Strategy, AR Crimea, Ukraine

SEA capacity development in Azerbaijan

Belarus

SEA of the Bakhchisaraysky District Development Strategy (2010-2017)

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Estimated trends in environment status:o Increased volume of solid domestic

wasteo Increased air pollution from

stationary sources;o Decreased rivers’ water quality due

to agriculture and household waste discharge;

o Continuous destruction of the coast-protecting line

Key sectors: waste management, tourism, water management, agriculture; Damaged coast-protecting structures near

the village of Beregovoy

SDW landfill in the town of Bakhchisaray

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SEA Context

o Ukraine – signatory to the UNECE SEA Protocolo The very first SEA application in Crimea!o On-going process of local strategic planning

improvemento Leadership and support of the Crimea Ministry of

Economyo District authorities interested in applying SEA

Key features of SEA processo Duration: May – December 2009o Budget: app. 46,000 USDo SEA integrated after strategic development

priorities and vision identifiedo Capacity development element neededo Active involvement of district authority / plannerso Conducted by the Working Group on Water and

Environment and local expert group

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Capacity Development and Public Participation

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SEA scoping in working groups, SEA training, Bakhchisaray, 24-25 June, 2009

Head of the Bakhchisaraysky DSA I.Umerov presenting the District Development Strategy and SEA recommendations at public hearings in front of the local council members and the general public, Bakhchisaray, 25 November, 2009

ResultsOver 600 people aware of and involved in the strategic

planning process, including SEA, via public hearings and expert meetings;

42 specialists trained in SEA and 54 specialists obtained practical experience in SEA application;

SEA fully integrated in planning process;

80% of SEA recommendations reflected in the final Sustainable Development Strategy for Bakhchisaraysky District

Environment integrated in the strategies of 3 other districts

National conference on Crimea strategic planning calls for applying SEA to become automatically part of local planning;

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Environmental impact mitigation measures recommended

Tighter environmental quality control;

System of alternative proposals for different industries, e.g. organic farming for individual farmers;

Tighter control over natural, especially plant, resources to prevent destruction of juniper groves and other protected species;

Stroyindustria Complex to consider using natural gas energy or switching to the non-clinker cement production technology http://www.vashdom.ru/articles/akpr_29.htm

EIA of every investment project;

Inhabitants get better access to environmental information.

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SEA capacity development in Azerbaijan:key interventions Country analysis of “National Environmental Assessment

System and Potential for Application of SEA” Written recommendations for development of the country SEA

legal framework;

The National Guidance for SEA practitioners;

National SEA Capacity Development Strategy

SEA training, workshops and study tour

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SEA capacity development in Azerbaijan: ResultsAround 50 people from around 15 ministries and agencies,

state companies, CSOs and donors, have been introduced and trained in SEA

Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources owns procedural and technical base and knowledge to move forward with accessing to the UNECE SEA Protocol and creating SEA legal system

SEA taken up by the State Committee of Urban Planning and Architecture and the World Bank in elaboration of the Absheron Peninsula Development Strategy and Master Plan

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“SEA and environmental conventions implementation in Belarus”

Key partner: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Protection of Republic of Belarus

Duration: end 2008 – end 2010Donor: European Commission and UNDP

Key interventions:22 local specialists enhanced their capacity in SEA2 pilot SEAs carried out: of the regional plan and of the

National Programme of Inland Waterways and Maritime Transport Development.

Pilot environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context, in cooperation with Lithuania

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Findings and lessons learned from UNDP SEA projects Driving force: international experience, donors, UNECE SEA

Protocol (ARM as the only Party up to date) and the EC SEA Directive (Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine);

Some SEA provisions in current SEE / OVOS system and legislation;

SEA effectiveness depends on political will and interest and on so called government ‘champions’

Wring perception SEA is being done within SEE/OVOS process;

SEA seen as a threat to current SEE/OVOS system – reluctance of environmental authorities;

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Findings and lessons learned from UNDP SEA projects – cont. SEA pilot projects – most effective capacity development

activity;

SEA effectiveness depends on level of government ownership and on transparency, openness and structure of planning process;

Public participation more effective at sub-national level planning;

Many countries prefer to build SEA capacity prior ratifying SEA Protocol

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SEA / EIA 2011, Ostrava 17

Thank you!

henrieta.martonakova@undp.org

http://live.unece.org/env/sea/eecca_capacity.html

http://europeandcis.undp.org/