Strategic Environmental Assessment in Planning of Tourism Development Experience from the Czech Repu

1
Strategic Environmental Assessment in Planning of
Tourism Development Experience from the Czech
Republic
Simona Kosikova 14 June 2006, Jurmala
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Introduction

• About the organization
• Programmes, Topic Areas, projects
• REC office Czech Republic
• Overview of EA activities
• Purpose and outline of the presentation

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The REC

• is a non-partisan, non-advocacy,
  not-for-profit international organisation
  Established in 1990 with a mission to assist in
  solving environmental problems
• An organisation bridging borders between
  countries and stakeholders (NGOs, Governments,
  Enterprise, Citizens, Media)
• The REC is legally based on a charter signed by
  the governments of 28 countries and the European
  Commission
• International organisation
• 180 staff (some 30 nationalities)
• Over 300 running projects
• 12 million Euro annual turnover

REC Video Click!
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The REC Network

• Head Office
• Szentendre, Hungary
• 16 COs
• 3 FOs
• Operations
• beyond Central
• and Eastern
• Europe (CEE)

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Mission in Practice

• PROVIDING CONSULTATIVE
• SUPPORT TO ACTUAL
• PROBLEM SOLVING

• RAISING AWARENESS
• PROVIDING INFORMATION

• PROMOTING PUBLIC
• PARTICIPATION
• BUILDING CAPACITY

• RESEARCHING AND MONITORING
• ASSESSING THE NEEDS

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Implementation

• REC carries out projects with programmes, topic
  areas and funds across the network
• Environmental Assessment Topic Area
• - Overview of SEA activities
• 19972003 Sofia EIA Initiative (regional capacity
  development programme on EIA/SEA to facilitate
  informal discussion among officials from EIA
  Depts. on various issues related to introduction
  of SEA development in the region)
• Pilot projects (SEA of NDP of Estonia (2003)
• Guidance and training manuals (SEA Methodology
  for Regional Development Concepts, CzR SEA
  Training Manual for SEE, part in Handbook on SEA
  for EU Cohesion Policy 2007-2013)
• Twinning programs

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REC Czech Republic

• Key expertise
• Strategic Environmental Assessment
• Effective communication and PR in nature
  protection
• Environmental education in nature protection
• Project cycle management
• Public participation programs

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Assessments accomplished for concepts of tourism
development

• SEA of State Policy of Tourism Development
  2002-2007 (2002)
• SEA of Czech Sectoral Operational Programme for
  Tourism, 2004-2006 (2002)
• SEA of State Policy of Tourism Development
  2007-2013 (2006)

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Purpose of presentation

• To share practical experience with undertaking
  the environmental assessments of strategic
  concept developed in the Czech Republic,
• - with special focus on tourism development
• - in a view of sustainability appraisal

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Outline of presentation

• SEA system in the Czech Republic
• Case example of SEA for Czech Sectoral
  Operational Programme for Tourism
• Key issues of tourism development in the Czech
  Republic
• Challenges in regard to further SEA application
• Branding as an example of sustainable business to
  support tourism development

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The SEA system in the Czech Republic

• Evolution of SEA in the Czech Republic
• Transposition and implementation of SEA Directive
  in the Czech Republic
• Key issues and problems

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Evolution of SEA in the Czech Republic

• 70ies 1992
• Requirements for consideration of environmental
  issues within land-use planning since mid 70
  (Act on Land-Use Planning)
• 1992 1996
• Adoption of relevant legislation
• Limited practice
• 1996 2004
• Development of methodological approaches
• Growing experience
• 2004 ???
• Transposition of SEA Directive
• Practice in accordance with EU

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SEA Practice (1992 2004) I.

• Practice started only in mid 1990ies
• Act stipulated only very general framework
• which could be implemented through traditional
  EIA approach or objective led-appraisal
• Both approaches used in practice
• National level
• policies, strategies, plans and programmes (about
  25 in total).
• Regional level
• land-use plans (obligatory)
• other regional plans and programmes (waste
  management plans, reginal development plans etc.)
  on voluntary base since 2001

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Transposition of the EC SEA Directive

• Preparation started in 2002 (Ministry of
  Environment)
• EC SEA Directive transposed March 2004 through
  new amendments of the Czech EIA Act (no.
  100/2001)
• SEA procedure is stipulated in the new Articles
  10a to 10j of the newly amended EIA Act. SEA
  procedure is however significantly different from
  project level EIA
• Concepts any strategies, policies, plans or
  programs elaborated by public authorities (at all
  levels of government) or submitted to them for
  approval even if their elaboration is not
  required by laws or administrative decisions

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Field of application

• SEA automatically required for
• all concepts in sectors stipulated by the SEA
  Directive (and also for environment and
  biodiversity protection) that set framework for
  permitting of activities that require EIA (Annex
  1 of the EIA Act)
• all concepts co-financed by EU
• SEA screening required for
• concepts that affect territory of only one
  municipality or
• modifications of already approved concepts
• SEA not required for neighbourhood plans unless
  specified in screening (e.g. Natura 2000)
  defence, emergency plans and budgets

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Notification about concept

• Every institution that intends to elaborate
  concept has to notify relevant environmental
  authority (i.e. MoE for national and regional
  concepts or regional authorities for local
  concepts) about
• nature of the concept
• affected environment
• possible effects of environment and health (incl.
  possible transboundary effects)
• Notification is sent in printed and electronic
  form
• Relevant env. authority makes it public available
  and forwards it to possibly concerned authorities
  (state authorities, regions and municipalities)

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Screening and scoping

• Concerned authorities and the public can submit
  comments on the notification within 20 days
• Relevant env. authority on the basis of obtained
  comments determines key environmental issues to e
  addressed
• Results of screening/scoping sent to proponent
  and concerned authorities are made publicly
  accessible

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SEA Report

• Proponent has to appoint an SEA expert(s) within
  30 days
• SEA expert must have accreditation for EIA/SEA
  and is responsible for quality of SEA
• Proponent has to cooperate with SEA expert
  (especially by providing all relevant documents
  that generated within elaboration of the concept)
  and has to take due account of inputs from SEA
  into the concept
• requirements SEA Report taken over from the SEA
  Directive with additional requirement to define
  env. criteria for evaluation of future projects
  that implement the concept

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Public review of concept and SEA

• Draft concept and SEA is sent to relevant
  environmental authority
• Relevant environmental authority forwards it to
  concerned authority and makes it publicly
  available in locally customary manner and puts in
  on the Internet
• Public hearing needs to be organised once at
  least 30 days were provided for public to the
  review the draft concept and its SEA report
• Anyone can submit comments up until 5 days after
  the public hearing

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SEA standpoint

• Relevant environmental authority issues (within
  30 days since the date of public hearing) an SEA
  standpoint to the concept
• When doing so it has to take into account all
  submitted comments
• SEA standpoint is sent to proponent, concerned
  authorities and is made publicly available
• Concept cannot be approved without SEA standpoint
  (even though its is not binding for the final
  decision-making of the concept)

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SEA follow-up

• Proponent has to ensure monitoring and analysis
  of actual effects of the concept on environment
  and health
• When proponent finds significant unforeseen
  effects, it has to
• ensure mitigation and compensation measures
• notify relevant environmental authority
• decide about modifications of the concept
• Relevant state authorities have to monitor the
  actual effects of the concept on environment and
  health and can submit request for modification of
  the concept

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Main changes in system (after May 2004)

• Detail requirements for SEA procedure
• Specific requirements for content of SEA Report
• Assessment of health impacts
• Natura 2000
• Extended field of application (national, regional
  and local levels)
• Authorized SEA/EIA expert has to be member of SEA
  team
• Two levels of SEA authorities
• Ministry of Environment (Department of EIA, SEA
  and IPPC)
• Regional Offices (14) Departments of Impact
  Assessment
• Development of SEA Information System
• Managed by Czech Ecological Institute
• Publicly available on Internet
• Records of all SEA cases

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Key issues and problems I.

• Significant increase of SEA cases
• 1992 June 2004 60 70 SEAs
• June 2004 August 2005 about 1,4000 screening
  carried out for local land-use plans and its
  changes
• Institutional problems
• Legal requirements are too detail, specific and
  too strict
• Insufficient capacities (personal and expert)
  within SEA authorities
• Limited methodological support and coordination
  within SEA authorities
• Limited knowledge and information on SEA within
  proponents

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Key issues and problems II.

• Procedural problems
• Long process
• Proponents start with SEA too late
• Low interest of public
• Lack of experience/knowledge
• No experience with transboundary assessment
• Limited experience with assessment of health
  impacts
• SEA and Natura 2000

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Planning of Tourism development in the Czech
Republic

• Policy of tourism development at national level
• - Ministry for Regional Development vs. Ministry
  of Environment
• Regional development planning
• Strategies of tourism development in specific
  (geographical) areas local governments

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Concepts of tourism development

• State Policy of Tourism Development 2002-2007
• Czech Sectoral Operational Programme for Tourism,
  2004-2006
• State Policy of Tourism Development 2007-2013
• Individual strategies developed by the Ministry
  of Environment
• Sectoral PPP

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Case example SEA for Czech Sectoral
Operational Programme for Tourism

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Process management

• Ex-post SEA based on intensive consultations with
  the planning team, Ministry of Regional
  Development and Ministry of Environment
• 4 months, SEA team 3 experts, total 70 person
  days
• SEA broken down into individual environmental
  assessment of
• current state of the sector
• specific objectives of the programming document
• proposed activities
• implementation plan
• monitoring plan

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(No Transcript)
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Env. assessment of the current state of the sector

• Review of env. issues in the analytical part of
  the programming document (situation analysis and
  SWOT analysis)
• Key environmental problems arising from intensive
  tourism (individual car transport, impacts in
  protected areas, etc.)
• Key environmental issues affecting attractiveness
  of destinations (air, noise and water pollution,
  loss of biodiversity and attractiveness of
  countryside, etc.)

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Env. assessment of objectives

• Review of env. objectives of the programming
  document and suggestion of specific env. goals
  for the programming document
• No env. objective found in the programming
  document
• SEA team developed a set of 10 specific env.
  goals for tourism (based on National
  Environmental Policy and environmental criteria
  for tourism developed by the World Tourism
  Organisation and the 7th Session of CSD)
• SEA team agreed on these objectives with Ministry
  of Regional Development and Ministry of
  Environment (to ensure that both authorities
  support their use to optimise the programming
  document)

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Environmental (reference) objectives for Tourism

• Support adoption of environmental management
  systems (ISO 14000, EMAS) in tourism industry,
• Regulate number of tourists in areas heavily
  affected by tourism,
• Disperse tourism in time and space,
• Support environmentally friendly means of
  transport in areas attractive for tourisms,
  including city centers,
• Improve local env. quality (e.g. local air
  quality, water quality, noise levels and
  attractiveness of urban areas),
• Maintain biodiversity and attractiveness of
  landscape,
• Protect local cultural heritage,
• Inform visitors about key features of local
  environment and how to protect it,
• Enhance community participation in management of
  tourist sites.

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Categories of environmental impacts

• Impacts on inhabitants
• Impacts on ecosystems, their components and
  functions
• Impacts on man-made systems and on the use of the
  territory
• Large-size impacts on the landscape
• Other impacts

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Environmental assessment of proposed activities

• Evaluation of relationship between env. goals for
  tourism and proposed measures/activities
• modified Leopold Matrix used to evaluate
  performance of each measure against set of 10
  goals evaluation scale
• -2 very negative impact,
• 0 indifferent
• 2 very positive impact
• Evaluation used to suggest
• reformulations of measures
• conditions for their implementation

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Example of Assessment Matrix
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Env. assessment of implementation system

• EIA Terms of Reference ( draft scope of EIA
  key issues and alternatives) recommended for
  major proposed projects
• Environmental (evaluation) scoring sheets
  suggested for all projects that implement the
  strategy
• preliminary scoring (to guide design of projects)
• formal scoring (to guide selection of projects),
• Responsibilities of environmental authorities in
  review of environmental scoring and selection of
  individual projects

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Env. assessment of monitoring plan

• Aim to measure whether the program meets its
  specific environmental objectives
• Indicators 10 specific indicators proposed (one
  indicator per each environmental objective) - to
  measure whether the programming document meets
  its specific environmental objectives
• Gathering of data monitoring data obtained
  through environmental evaluation of each
  implementation project

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Key benefits

• SEA influenced the entire programming process
  from problem analysis to design of monitoring
  system
• Majority of suggestions from SEA fully
  incorporated into the text of program
• SEA improved previously very tense relations
  between governmental departments
• SEA changed attitude of Tourism Department to
  treatment of environmental issues

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Key difficulties

• Frequent input of SEA team into programming
  process very demanding for SEA team
• Environmental goals and targets for tourism
  poorly formulated need to define them within
  SEA process
• Public participation was organised only in the
  last stage of the SEA process

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Key environmental issues of tourism development

• Environmental issues
• Fragmentation of landscape, pressure on conquest
  of soil (greenfields) entertainment centers,
  sport facilities (ski lifts), parking (standard
  regulation tools often little effective)
• Pressure on expanding of tourism in nature
  valuable areas
• Biodiversity degradation
• Planning
• Understanding what the term sustainability is
  about
• Poor communication, cooperation with
  stakeholders low awareness of environmental
  interrelations
• Cooperation among responsible government bodies

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Challenges for the future SEA practitioners
point of view

• Enforcement of the outcomes of the SEA reflected
  in the standpoint of the SEA
• System of environmental evaluation
• Monitoring of impacts of the implementation of
  the concept on the environment
• Integration of other issues of sustainability in
  the asessment - balancing the economic, social
  and environmental concerns within the planning

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Challenges for the future SEA II

• Simplification of relevant legislation
• Authorization
• Open space for variability
• Discussion on scope of application of SEA
  (especially on local level)
• Links between SEA and EIA
• Methodological work and training for
• SEA authorities officials
• Proponents of concepts
• SEA experts
• NGOs and general public

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Challenges for the future SEA III

• Support of good practice
• General standards for good and successful SEA
• Implementation of quality monitoring system
• Possibility of legal and institutional changes
• Improvement of international cooperation
• Experience from old EU member states
• Communication within new EU member states
• Transfer of lessons learnt to
• Establishment of EIA/SEA Network
• Especially for EIA/SEA experts
• Sustainability/Integrated Assessment?
• Plans/programmes within EU Structural Funds

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Links

• Act on Environmental Impact Assessment other
  legal documents (unofficial translations)
• http//www.env.cz/EIA.Web/en/frame_en.html
• Czech SEA Methodology (unofficial translation)
• http//www.rec.org/REC/Programs/EnvironmentalAsse
  ssment/SEAActivities.html
• SEA Information system (only in Czech)
• www.ceu.cz/eia/sea

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Contact Simona Kosikova, REC Czech Republic
e-mail simona.kosikova_at_reccr.cz REC Web page
on Environmental assessmentwww.rec.org/Environmen
talAssessment Thank You for Your Attention
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• Thank You for Your Attention