Introduction to sea

WHAT IS SEA
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is an efficient procedural tool to integrate environmental and health considerations into plans, programmes as well as to policies and legislation alongside the economic and social considerations

WHAT SEA SHOULD DO
Inform the decision-making through
- a robust assessment of the likely environmental and health consequences, and of their relationship with the objectives and development proposals of the plan/programme;
- identification of development alternatives; and
- outcomes of the consultations;
Enable consultations with governmental agencies as well as public in the preparation of plans, programmes and policies, including, if relevant, a transboundary aspect;
Ensure that the results of assessment and debate are taken into account during decision-making and implementation.

SEA BENEFITS
Provides for a high level of environmental and health protection
Improves the quality of planning
Facilitates identification of new development opportunities
Helps to prevent costly mistakes
Increases the efficiency of decision-making and strengthens governance

PRINCIPLES OF SEA APPLICATION
Undertaken by the authority responsible for planning
Applied as early as possible in decision-making process
Focused on key issues
Evaluates reasonable range of alternatives
Provides appropriate opportunities for involvement of key stakeholders & the public
Carried out with appropriate, cost-effective methods & techniques of analysis
Individual SEA adjusted to the document assessed, considering its focus, planning process, structure of the document, governmental agencies and other stakeholders involved etc.

MAIN ACTORS IN SEA
Planning agencies (sectoral ministries, regional and local authorities)
Environmental and health authorities
The public (natural or legal persons, civil society, non-governmental organizations, etc.)
Decision-makers (government, parliament, regional or municipal councils)
Other governmental institutions
Consultants and experts

SEA AND PLANNING
Planning analyses and proposes development interventions
SEA examines individual outputs of the planning process and it may propose any necessary amendments
Optimally, SEA should be carried out in parallel with planning, when
- The lead process is the planning process, and
- SEA fits into the logic and steps of the planning process
Thus, both processes can be seen as mutually reinforcing tools within one robust planning system for more sustainable development