Transcript Title

Strategic Environmental
Assessment (SEA) Manual
Environmental Protection
Department
H. M. Wong
18 June 2005
Objectives of SEA Manual
To provide government officials, decision makers and
professionals with a set of systematic, user-friendly
and practical guidance on SEA practice;
To use examples to demonstrate how SEA can
contribute proactively to a more sustainable outcomes
and preclude major environmental problems;
To illustrate and demonstrate in a step by step
manner the techniques and principles in the
application of an SEA process.
SEA Manual – Table of Content
Part I
What is SEA
Part II
SEA Mechanisms in Hong Kong
Part III
How to Conduct SEA
Part IV
Worldwide Experience & Trend
Why is SEA Important ?
Facilitate the search of sustainable development options;
Provide environmental information at the earliest stage
of PPP formulation;
Inform decision makers and the public about the
environmental and sustainability implications of PPPs;
Test out alternatives at a policy level before proceeding
with site specific projects;
Steer developments toward environmentally “robust”
areas or away from environmentally sensitive areas; and
Address at a high level the cumulative environmental
impacts that cannot be addressed by project EIA.
Administrative Requirements
for SEA
In 1988, the Government required major landuse/
development plans to be subject to EIA process.
Since 1992, environmental implications arising from the
proposals should be stated clearly in all submissions to
Executive Council.
Policy Address 1999 requires all Policy Bureaus to carry out
Sustainability Impact Assessment for major policy
proposals.
Requires “Sustainability Assessment” and “Sustainability
Implications” for major proposals since April 2002.
Statutory requirements for
certain SEA
Schedule 3 of the EIA Ordinance
Major Designated Projects Requiring Environmental
Impact Assessment Reports
1. Engineering feasibility study of urban development
projects with a study area covering more than 20 ha or
involving a total population of more than 100,000.
2. Engineering feasibility study of redevelopment projects
with a study area covering more than 100,000 existing or
new population.
Evolution of SEA in Hong Kong
Types
Plans / Programme
+ major plans/ strategies
Issues
EIA issues
some sustainability issues more sustainability driven
Trying Out Phase
1988
Methodology
Development and
Building success
stories
1992
1995/96
+ Some policies
+ Strategic follow-up
Wider Application Phase to
Other sectors
1998
2002
When should SEA be Conducted
To tie in with the Critical Juncture of Decision Making
SEA Process in TDSR
Common Applications of SEA
How does SEA relate to the Project Life Cycle?
Detailed assessment of significant impacts,
identification of mitigation needs,
Input to cost/benefit analysis (EIA Stage)
Site selection, environmental
screening, initial assessment,
scoping of significant issues
(PER Stage)
Pre-feasibility
Feasibility
Detailed Design of
Mitigation
measures
Design and Construction
Project concept
SEA
Monitoring and evaluation
Source :
“EIA Training and Capacity Building Program
for Government Works Departments”
Implementation
Monitoring and audit
Rectify adverse impacts
Lessons for future projects
Implementation
of mitigation
measures and
environmental
strategy
Common Applications of SEA
Interaction Between Planning, SEA and EIA
Project Planning & EIA
EIA Implementation
Planning & SEA
Strategic Planning or
Sectoral Policy Studies
Scenarios
Strategic Environmental
Assessment
Project Level EIA
Development
Options
Preferred Option
Designated
Projects
Development
Strategy
Broad Land
Use Patterns
Sub-regional Plan
Statutory
Plans
Planning
Approval
Plan Implementation and
Local Disposal
Source :
“EIA Training and Capacity Building
Program for Government Works
Departments – EIA Training Manual”
Project Planning and
Design
Designated
Projects
Environmental Controls
during Construction and
Operation
Environmental
Controls during
Decommissioning
Assessing
Environmental
Impact
Against
Established
Criteria
Developing
Detailed
Technical
Prevention &
Mitigation
Measures
Environmental
Monitoring &
Audit
Generic Steps of SEA
Generic Steps of SEA (Steps 1 to 3)
Step 1
Continuous
and earliest
possible
interaction
with
stakeholders
and the
public
Step 2
Step 3
Re-consideration
of objectives in
view of
environmental
implications
Generic Steps of SEA
Step 3: Screening and Scoping
Propose of Screening
To identify aspects of the PPPs having major and long terms
environmental implications to facilitate informed decision and
to pre-empt major environmental problems, while balancing
the need of efficiency and avoid unnecessary assessments
Purpose of Scoping
To define the issues to be assessed, to what levels of
detail and by what kind of methodologies
Ways of Screening : Checklists
Source :
The former Planning Environmental and Lands Bureau’s Technical Circular No. 10/98
Generic Steps of SEA (Steps 4 to 6)
Preparation
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Final Assessment
Generic Steps of SEA
Step 4 : Assemble
Studies
Relevant
TDSR’s environmental
baseline study identified
a range of
environmental
constraints and
environmentally
sensitive areas and
thus protecting these
areas free from
development
Baseline
or
Background
Generic Steps of SEA
Step 6 : Identify Possible Options and their Environmental
Implications
In TDSR, the option
of reclaiming
Rambler Channel to
the east of the Tsing
Yi Island was
eliminated and
excluded for further
study after
consideration of SEA
results.
Generic Steps of SEA (Steps 7 & 8)
Initial Assessment
Continuous
and earliest
possible
interaction
with
stakeholders
and the
public
Step 7
Step 8
Strategic Follow-up (SEM&A)
Step 8 : Determine
follow
requirements
up
action,
monitoring
Require future follow-up actions such as
environmental issues, mitigation measures
and major assumptions.
Example : CTS-3 EM&A

Task group was set up.

Regular update of EM&A findings and
results.
Application of SEA Processes
to Different Types of PPPs
Sectoral strategies and policies
Transportation strategies and policies
Territorial land use planning
Sectoral strategies and policies
1.
2.
Nature and Scope
•
Usually for very major infrastructure / facilities ;
•
Usually high profile and restricted access during the course
of SEA ;
•
Timely environmental inputs are important, especially for
alternative sites.
Considerations
•
Identify “no-go” areas at the onset;
•
Carry out site search process in stages;
•
Consider alternative approaches and sites over the territory;
•
For decisions required within very short-time frame
professional judgment based on best available information.
Transportation Strategies and Policies
1.
Nature and Scope
Facilitating a “win-win” strategy/ policy to meet
transport (social), environmental, and economic
requirements.
2.
Considerations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
mode of transport ;
alternatives and needs ;
rail or road ;
alignment options ;
integration with environmental and landuse planning ;
traffic management and control ;
use of advance vehicle technologies;
demand management
Territorial land use planning
1.
Nature and Scope
• Population Growth & strategic growth areas
• Transport & Other Supporting Infrastructure
• Ecologically Important Areas
• Spacial and Temporal Cumulative impacts
2.
Considerations
•
Detailed evaluations at various levels should be carried out.
•
Environmental & Planning objectives should be fully integrated.
•
Use best estimates and predictions available.
•
Undesirable elements should be screened out at each stage.
•
Adopt different scenario for analysis and comparison.
•
Analysis should focus on implications of “worst-case”
scenarios.
•
Define mitigation measures & follow-up review
Further actions in hand
Existing SEA website will be revamped to
be more interactive and user-friendly.
SEA website will be further improved, with
hyperlinks
to
other
environmental
information or other SEA website
overseas.
Thank You