Assessing the Sustainability of Projects, Plans, Programmes and Policies,The Role of Integrated Assessment

摘要

This paper presents the author's experience of assisting with the development of methodologies for Environmental Impact Assessment, (EIA), Strategic Environmental Assessment, (SEA) and Sustainability Appraisal (SA) in the United Kingdom over the period from 1970 to the present day. This experience is contrasted with more recent experience in the application of similar methodologies in Africa, with particular reference to South Africa and Ghana since 1998.The conference theme is focused on 'EIA, the next ten years' and the paper argues the case for EIA,SEA and SA to be applied in this timeframe as an integrated set of tools for decision-makers. Although each process is used at different times in the decision-making process, they all share the same underlying concept of ensuring that significant adverse environmental effects are anticipated and avoided and that,where possible, the quality of the environment and of human existence is enhanced.