Review of strategic environmental assessment
The strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of policies, plans and programmes is a rapidly evolving field. This review was prepared in response to these trends and to support initiatives to address SEA frameworks and tools that can be applied by international agencies in their work.
The strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of policies, plans and programmes is a rapidly evolving field. New approaches and areas of application were emerging all the time – particularly in the fields of development cooperation and international trade. Despite progress, there was still much to do make SEA effective and more widely applied.
This review was prepared in response to those trends and to support initiatives to address SEA frameworks and tools that can be applied by international agencies in their work.
A major objective of this review was to:
- Provide a baseline and reference guide for developing strategic environmental assessment briefing papers, guidance and other outputs under the OECD DAC ENVIRONET work programme being undertaken by the DAC Task Team on SEA, and
- Support a UNEP programme, initiated in 2003, on integrated assessment and planning for sustainable development.
The study examined the context of SEA and its evolution and provides a perspective on experience and practice in SEA in developing countries, countries in transition, development cooperation and developed countries.
Additional resources
Strategic environmental assessment: A sourcebook and reference guide to international experience, Barry Dalal-Clayton, Barry Sadler (2005), IIED, OECD, UNEP in association with Earthscan Publications
