Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) seeks to assess impacts at local/project-tier level, up to regional/program-tier level, and even to national/policy-tier or international/international agreements-tier levels. SEA means many things. This meaning includes SEA is a formalized, systematic and comprehensive process that evaluates the environmental effects of policies, plans, and programs; It is a systematic and comprehensive process of evaluating the environmental impacts of a policy, plan or program and its alternatives, leading to the preparation of a written report; the findings are used to ensure publicly accountable decision-making; the consideration of the environmental impacts of programs, policies and plans, as well as projects. A number of countries now have, or are developing, SEA legislation; The Netherlands, for example, established a statutory system in 1987, New Zealand in 1991 and Australia in the 1990s; the UK, EU and various agencies such as the World Bank are moving towards adopting it.
SEA is seen as a way of considering sustainable development opportunities and threats in a proactive way. It can be used to assess a wide variety of things, including: long-term research programs; national transport policies; development and aid policies; ongoing trade agreement impacts; and the effects of global warming. The process has also been used for evaluating draft plans for water and irrigation development. High hopes have been voiced for SEA as a means of pursuing sustainable development and as a way of dealing more effectively with cumulative and indirect impacts. It is difficult to assess cumulative impacts at the project level because of interactions with other projects, with regional developments, and national and global influences (Barrow 2000).
This has long been realized; even in the first century BC it was observed by a Roman statesman that: amid a multitude of projects no plan is devised. If Social impact assessment (SIA) is to be linked with Environmental impact assessment (EIA) and other types of impact assessment, and with planning and decision-making, SEA may have potential as a starting point for what might better be termed integrated strategic assessment or (ISA). SEA methodologies are still in a relatively early stage of evolution, but they are already encouraging the coordination of various policies and programs, and are likely to ensure that planning decisions are made in a more open and rational way, promoting equity and participation (Barrow 2000).
Since the 1980s, SEA has attracted the attention of planners, policy makers and managers. It appeared in the late 1980s as a development of EIA, which went beyond the local-focus, snap-shot temporal-view and essentially project focus to consider the likely interaction of multiple projects, or the impacts of proposed programs and policies, at the regional, national and even global level hence the word strategic. Initially this interested those involved in land use planning and regional planning, but it has spread to transport and aid planning, and to a growing range of policy-making and management fields, including environmental management (Barrow 2005). Impact assessors are trying to develop SEA as a way of integrating assessments to avoid a snapshot view, avoid duplicated efforts, and provide a means for checking the off-site impacts of one development on others. In practice, SEA is complex and challenging, involving assessment across multiple sectors at different tiers of assessment. There are hopes it will make the management of large programs more effective and it has been promoted as an instrument for supporting decision making for sustainable development. Some aid agencies have used SEA as a way of assessing the impacts of proposed modifications to their programs, and it has also been applied to transport policies (Barrow 2005). The paper intends to discuss on different issues such as the potential benefits which can be obtained through increased public involvement; the types of public involvement which might be considered by environmental decision-makers; the effectiveness of current procedures and methods of participation; the relationship between formal and informal practice; and the extent to which new opportunities for public involvement need to be considered.
Potential benefits
Unfortunately, public involvement in an assessment project is generally not done in a very organized and effective manner, and not implemented as per policy statements. The assessment teams generally view the public as an adversary rather than as a partner in the assessment process. This seriously hampers the chances that the public may play a constructive role in the identification and evaluation of potential impacts. Instead of concentrating on the risks and difficulties of including the public in the assessment process in a meaningful way, assessment teams must concentrate on the benefits that can be derived from enhanced and much expanded communication among team members and the public. Communication between the assessment team and the public is the key to public participation. The assessment teams should try to communicate with the public as early as possible; communicate with as many people as possible; communicate in as many different ways as possible (Biswas & Modak 1999).
If there is public involvement in Strategic environmental assessment or SEA different benefits can be acquired. These benefits include a better implementation of SEA can be made, the effect of such process will be more adaptable to the public, the decision made after SEA will cause lesser problems, and more opinions can be taken. If there is public involvement in SEA a better implementation of SEA can be made. A better checking and analysis of SEA can be made by more people thus its implementation can be made much better. Through public involvement in SEA the effect of such process will be more adaptable to the public. The ones that will be affected by implementation of SEA are the ones that will be analyzing how it will be implemented. People can give their ideas on how it will be implemented thus the process is relevant to how people see it. Through public involvement in SEA the decision made after SEA will cause lesser problems. Since after SEA decisions will be made, the public’s involvement can be used to tone down decisions to be done so that the effect to people will be one that they can make adjustments. Lastly through public involvement in SEA more opinions can be taken. The different opinions will be vital to implement well SEA and make right decisions about it.
Types of public involvement
Within the broad scope of assessment goals and objectives, the public can constructively participate in each of the following tasks that includes provide data and information that is essential for the assessment of impacts on the physical and social environment; help identify local citizens and groups with special expertise who might be used by the assessment team for specific tasks; identify local and regional issues that should be addressed in the assessment process; provide a historical perspective to current environmental conditions and trends in the local and regional area of the proposed development project; help generate field data; provide criteria for evaluating the significance of identified impacts; identify project alternatives; suggest and help organize forums and mechanisms for public participation in the assessment process; monitor the relevance and adequacy of the on-going assessment efforts; review interim assessment reports and findings for public readability and relevance to local issues and concerns; help analyze and evaluate direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of project development; help define the scope of work and schedule for the overall assessment process; provide liaison between assessment team members and key organizations and other public groups and individuals; and lastly identify and evaluate potential mitigation measures that might be incorporated into project design and/or management (Biswas & Modak 1999).
A wide variety of techniques can be used to facilitate public participation. These techniques can be classified as media-based, research, political, structured group, large group, bureaucratic decentralization, and intervener techniques. When it comes to media based techniques it includes participatory radio and television, newsletters, news releases, public service announcements, advertisements. When it comes to research techniques it includes sample polls, community profiles. When it comes to political techniques it includes Citizen Referendum lobbying, lobbying. When it comes to structured group techniques it includes nominal groups, Delphi techniques, and workshops. Moreover when it comes to large group meetings it includes public hearings, public meetings. When it comes to bureaucratic decentralization it includes field office, information van. Lastly when it comes to interveners it includes citizen advisory committees, advocacy planning, and ad hoc committees (Biswas & Modak 1999).
Effectiveness of current procedures and methods of participation
In selecting and implementing any technique for involving the public in the assessment process, adequate consideration should be given to the following questions that include: what specific assessment objectives can be achieved by the proposed team? What are the key criteria particularly physical settings, timing, and nature of target group for the successful utilization of the proposed technique? What follow-up actions and related budgetary, personnel, and information resources will be required if the proposed technique is implemented? How can the implementation of the proposed technique be monitored to ensure the timely correction of any counterproductive conditions and tendencies? How can local conditions such as attitudes, previous experience with public participation measures influence the successful utilization of the proposed technique? And lastly what criteria can be used to ensure the most appropriate assignment of team personnel with respect to the successful utilization of the proposed technique? (Barrow 1999). After discerning such things and selecting a proper technique, public involvement in SEA can now be done. The effectiveness of public involvement cannot be measured during initial implementation but as time passes by it can be more noticeable. The effectivity of the implementation can be visible after a time when it passes certain tests. The effectiveness of public involvement can be seen when changes rather big or small are seen. When the changes are good public involvement is effective and acceptable to a specific country’s decision. The effectiveness of public involvement can also be seen in the way people react to the changes made. Since the people are the ones that will be greatly affected by such their participation’s effectiveness can be seen on how they react to the changes occurring. A positive reaction means that changes were made because they participated in the process.
Relationship between formal and informal practice
The informal and formal practice are both used in making sure that the public involvement will bring better benefits and will reap rewards. The practice whether formal or informal can help in encouraging more people to participate in SEA. People have so many preferences on how to do things and the practices whether formal or informal can assist in making sure that the people will be comfortable on how they practice participation in SEA. The formal and informal practice works together to ensure that there will be people who will take part in public involvement in SEA.
New opportunities for public involvement
There are instances when a need for public involvement must be done. Public involvement is not regularly needed because of the conflicts and other problems that may arise. There are certain situations that call for such activities to arise. This includes when people are neglected and not given consultations regarding processes. Public involvement can also be used when there are so many complains and grievances against the process. Public involvement can also be used when problems are stacked up and a solution cannot be easily found. Public involvement can be called upon if the process seems not adaptable and not relating to current trends. Public involvement maybe called upon if the negative effects of the process are starting to be seen. The use of public involvement depends on the situation and how grave the situation is. The more negative a situation has become the greater there is a need for public involvement. As mentioned when these things happen opportunities to have public involvement arise. The opportunities should not be taken lightly since it may take some time for it to come back. Also making use of public involvement should not be hastened to ensure lesser problems. Hastening public involvement can result in people abusing involvement in the process thus causing problems than solutions.
References
Barrow, CJ 1999, Environmental management: principles and
practice, Routledge, London.
Barrow, CJ 2000, Social impact assessment: an introduction,
Arnold, London.
Barrow, CJ 2005, Environmental management and development,
Routledge, London.
Biswas, AK & Modak, P 1999, Conducting environmental impact
assessment in developing countries, United Nations
University Press, New York.
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