Strategic Environmental Assessments: Framing the Complexity of the Environmental Commons for Multi-Institutional Stakeholders

Abstract

"The process of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) involves drawing on a wide range of ecological and socio-political factors to influence the decision making process for policies, plans and programs. Unlike the environmental impact assessment, which deals with very tangible impacts and concrete actions, the SEA is broader and more encompassing, both institutionally and ecologically. As a result of this, the issue of environmental management spans a wide array of ecological issues and a broad range of impacted and effected institutional stakeholders at multiple levels. Within the process of the SEA, the involvement of stakeholders requires asking them for an investment of their time and energy to provide critical insights into the forthcoming policy, plan or program. This paper will address how the complexity of the environmental commons can be framed in a manner that provides incentives for stakeholder involvement in the SEA, while also improving outcomes to enhance complex multiple resource use strategies. This paper draws on applied experiences with SEA multiple developing countries for the US Government. World Bank, and European Union."