Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Manual

1
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Manual
Environmental Protection Department H. M.
Wong 18 June 2005
2
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.

3
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
4
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.

5
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.

6
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.

7
Evolution of SEA in Hong Kong
8
When should SEA be Conducted

• To tie in with the Critical Juncture of Decision
  Making

SEA Process in TDSR
9
Common Applications of SEA
How does SEA relate to the Project Life Cycle?
Source EIA Training and Capacity Building
Program for Government Works Departments
10
Common Applications of SEA
Interaction Between Planning, SEA and EIA
Source EIA Training and Capacity Building
Program for Government Works Departments EIA
Training Manual
11
Generic Steps of SEA
12
Generic Steps of SEA (Steps 1 to 3)
Step 1
Continuous and earliest possible interaction with
stakeholders and the public
Step 2
Re-consideration of objectives in view of
environmental implications
Step 3
13
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
14
Ways of Screening Checklists
Source The former Planning Environmental and
Lands Bureaus Technical Circular No. 10/98
15
Generic Steps of SEA (Steps 4 to 6)
Preparation
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Final Assessment
16
Generic Steps of SEA
Step 4 Assemble Relevant Baseline or
Background Studies
TDSRs environmental baseline study identified a
range of environmental constraints and
environmentally sensitive areas and thus
protecting these areas free from development
17
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.
18
Generic Steps of SEA (Steps 7 8)
Initial Assessment
Continuous and earliest possible interaction with
stakeholders and the public
Step 7
Step 8
19
Strategic Follow-up (SEMA)
Step 8 Determine follow up action, monitoring
requirements

• Require future follow-up actions such as
  environmental issues, mitigation measures and
  major assumptions.
• Example CTS-3 EMA
• Task group was set up.
• Regular update of EMA findings and results.

20
Application of SEA Processes to Different Types
of PPPs

• Sectoral strategies and policies
• Transportation strategies and policies
• Territorial land use planning

21
Sectoral strategies and policies

• 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.

22
Transportation Strategies and Policies

• Nature and Scope
• Facilitating a win-win strategy/ policy to
  meet transport (social), environmental, and
  economic requirements.
• 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

23
Territorial land use planning

• Nature and Scope
• Population Growth strategic growth areas
• Transport Other Supporting Infrastructure
• Ecologically Important Areas
• Spacial and Temporal Cumulative impacts
• 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

24
(No Transcript)
25
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.

26
(No Transcript)
27
(No Transcript)
28
(No Transcript)
29
Thank You