Strategic environmental assessment application for sustainable transport-related air quality policies: a case study in Hanoi City,Vietnam

Recognition has grown among policy-makers that early in the decision-making process, there is a need for an environmental assessment of the effects of the policy, plan, and program (PPP) and their alternatives. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is widely recognized as a supporting tool that systematically integrates environmental aspects into strategic decision-making processes, thereby contributing to sustainable development. In this study, SEA was applied for an integrated assessment of environmental, social, and economic impacts of a wide range of scenarios for transport-related air quality policies to help decision-makers in identifying the most sustainable scenario with the purpose of reducing carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations from transport emissions in Hanoi City, Vietnam. In conducting SEA process, the urban air dispersion model MUAIR was used as a quantitative tool in prediction of CO concentrations. To evaluate the predicted impacts of scenarios, the SEA objectives concerning sustainability and the corresponding sustainable indicators were identified. Based on the likely significant predicted impacts on landscape, biodiversity, and health benefits, mitigation measures were proposed. These included planning in infrastructure development and implementation of public education campaign. The results of predicted and evaluated impacts of scenarios as well as proposed mitigation measures were taken into account for supporting sound decision-making that is consistent with the principles of sustainable development. Considering sustainable impacts of the scenarios, the SEA result clearly indicates that a combination of policy for public transport development and policy for installation of oxidation catalytic converter for motorcycles is the most sustainable scenario for reducing CO concentrations from transport emissions.     

战略环境影响评价中生物多样性影响评价特点

随着战略环境影响评价（Strategic Environmental Assessment，简称SEA）的发展，SEA被越来越广泛地用于生物多样性影响评价。由于受人类对生物多样性的研究和认识水平的限制，目前在国内外还没有成熟的方法用于生物多样性的影响评价，以致于生物多样性的影响评价内容不够具体和全面。从生物多样性的景观、生态系统、物种和基因4个层次分析了生物多样性影响评价在SEA中应用的限制因素。在此基础上，提出景观层次影响评价可以通过寻求易于测度的关键景观要素进行评价，宏观把握景观变化给生物多样性带来的影响趋势；生态系统层次影响评价应充分考虑各种替代方案的比较，避免敏感目标的生物多样性重大损失；物种层次的影响评价选择重要的目标物种作为主要评价依据；受研究水平限制，基因层次的影响评价还不具有普遍意义。     

我国公路网规划环境影响评价

我国正处于公路交通飞速发展的历史阶段，公路建设在促进社会经济发展的同时也带来了显著的生态环境问题。由于目前建设项目环境影响评价的局限性日益突出，环评法以及相继出台的部门规章都要求从战略层次科学评估交通规划造成的潜在环境影响，促使交通战略的决策过程充分考虑环境因素。然而，我国交通战略环境评价起步较晚并较多关注于内容框架的研究，因此从宏观层面上对公路网规划的环境评价方法还有待完善和深入研究。以融合国际经验的湖北省骨架公路网规划战略环境评价为例，从规划分析、现状调查、指标体系、影响预测、制度分析和公众参与等方面，详细分析了我国公路网规划环境影响评价的技术路线确定、评价要点识别以及评价方法选取等内容，并从层次性和介入时机等方面讨论了我国交通战略环境评价存在的不足，为完善交通规划战略环境评价提供参考     

SUSTAINABILITY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL: MANAGEMENT TOOLS AND MUNICIPAL TAX INCENTIVE MODEL

The implementation of sustainable development may seem a simple concept when written on paper. However to carry-out long term actions put forward by the Agenda 21 (AG21) at the local level represents one of the main challenges as municipal governments in general do not have the capacity to effectively implement the process. Regional environmental assessment (REA) has shown to be effective in supporting decision-making not only to correct environmental problems due to past unsustainable social-economic developments but also help local governments to implement sustainable actions. However this requires long-term investments of AG21 plans and projects. The allocation of regular and consistent financial resources is one of the main ingredients for the sustainable development process. But traditional plans and projects financed by national and/or international funds may not be sustainable in the long-term because they become dependent on external funding. Research demonstrate that innovative economic instruments such as ecotaxes represent a feasible alternative to sponsor local sustainability because taxes are collected permanently by the government and could be invested in continuous actions. Ecotaxes experiences have provided important reference to structure a municipal incentive model (MIM) to sponsor AG21’s environmental plans and projects on a long-term (permanent) basis. However sustainable development cannot be solely through economic investments. A comprehensive municipal environmental management scheme (MEMS) has been established to support the incentive model. The scheme seeks not only to improve local institutional framework but also incentive continuous participation of local stakeholders at all levels of society. Participatory events and the provision of incentives (educational and financial) are key to motivate society to protect the environment and support actively the sustainable development process as emphasised in the RIO-92 Conference.     

Research on Public Participation and Information Publicity in Strategic Environmental Assessment

1 INTRODUCTIONStrategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is the application of EIA(Environment Impact Assessment) to strategic actions such as policies, plans or programs (PPPs). More specially, SEA is: 'The formalized, systematic and comprehensive process of evaluating the environmental impacts of a policy, plan or program and its alternatives, including the preparation of a written report on the findings of that evaluation, and using the findings in publicly accountable decision-ma…     

Strategic Environmental Assessment： A New Tool for Ecological Urbanization of Coastal Cities in China

Recently, there has been growing concerns about environmental issues related to urbanization in China. The intense natural resources utilization and increasing population has brought great pressure, especially in coastal areas, consequently affecting the sustainable development of coastal cities. In 2002, Environmental Impact Assessment Act （EIA Act） was enacted in China. Environmental impact assessment targeted at planning, one level of strategic environmental assessment （SEA）, thus became a legislative requirement. This paper considers SEA to be one of the important approaches not only to control coastal pollution, but also to conserve coastal ecosystems and finally to achieve sustainable development during urbanization, thus it will be a set an example for other areas of China. The experience of SEA in Xiamen, a coastal city in southeast China, illustrates the potentials of SEA. This paper first briefly introduces the concept and potentials of SEA, then compares two SEA cases and a project EIA case in Xiamen, and finally identifies the key characteristics of SEA.     

城市未来发展持续性评价决策支持系统构建和设计

城市作为一定区域内的政治、经济和文化教育等中心，具有明显的集聚能力和辐射带动作用，其可持续发展是区域及整个国家可持续发展的前提。开发和构建城市未来发展持续性评价决策支持系统（UFDADSS），对加强城市发展可持续性动态监测和科学评价、提高城市可持续发展战略规划及决策水平具有重要意义。本文主要根据城市可持续发展的系统性、多样性、空间性、动态性等特征，从体系结构、功能模块、集成方式等几个方面，对UFDADSS的构建和设计进行了初步探讨。     

Research on Public Participation and Information Publicity in Strategic Environmental Assessment

Abstract

It has been generally recognized that strategic environmental assessment integrates environment and development into decision-making and becomes an important decision-making tool for implementing sustainable development. This paper firstly introduces the relationships of SEA, public participation(PP)and information publicity(IP), then discusses the key parts in enforcing the effective process of PP: They are the methods for how to make sufficient information open (What), when to implement PP (When), who will determinate the public (Who), and how to make the models of PP (How). Six cases are compared and analyzed. At last, ways to improve the effectiveness of PP in China is also presented.     

区域可持续发展战略规划的理论与方法研究

实施区域可持续发展战略规划是落实科学发展观的需要。结合广东省江门市可持续战略规划的实践,对可持续发展规划的概念、内涵、基本框架以及技术流程进行探讨。基本结论是：区域可持续发展战略规划应以“环境社会系统”全新的视角,回答一个区域该如何化解“三大供需矛盾”,消除“三大危机”,提高区域可持续发展能力的问题;对区域环境社会系统这类开放型复杂巨系统进行可持续发展战略决策,需采用专家经验与计算机建模相结合、反复试错、多元互动的综合集成方法。     

城市总体规划的战略环境评价研究 --以河北省丰南市黄各庄镇为例

开展城市总体规划的战略环境评价可以将环境问题纳入到规划中进行综合分析，使规划遵循可持续发展的原则，并根据可持续发展的目标，协调各部门发展的关系。本文基于开发的评价程序，结合黄各庄镇总体规划的战略环境评价。尝试在规划层次上对城镇总体规划的战略环境评价进行探讨。     

重庆市骨架公路网规划生态环境影响评价

战略环境评价作为一种促进可持续发展的重要工具,已经得到了广泛的关注。以重庆市骨架公路网规划生态环境影响评价为例,探讨一种基于规划路网与生态要素空间关系的评价方法。将评价要素分为两类,运用地理信息技术识别出规划路网对4种生态组分影响较大的地区和直接受规划路网影响的自然保护区,做出了空间分布图,并针对存在的问题给出了建议和对策,为合理设计和布设路网提供了依据。提出的基于空间位置关系的评价方法将会促进路网规划环境影响评价的开展。     

Entry points for climate-informed planning for the water resources and agriculture sectors in Cambodia

Incorporating climate change concerns into national development planning allows adaptation to happen in harmony with the sustainable development of a country. Cambodia has received international support to enable climate change-resilient development; “mainstreaming climate change” is one of the key recent strategies. This article aims to identify entry points for integrating climate change concerns into national development planning, especially for the water resources and agriculture sectors. The study uses institutional ethnography research methods with informants drawn from government organisations, local academic institutions, and development partners, together with content analysis of key policy documents. It was found that the Cambodian national planning process restricts the involvement of other actors such as researchers, civil society, and private sector; yet flexible, in that it provides opportunities for the inclusion of climate change and other related concerns. The study identified specific entry points in key policy documents, such as the National Strategic Development Plans, and ministries’ plans. Other entry points were identified in the development planning process, for example, in the process of development departments and ministries’ plans, and actors such as department planners, and departments of planning of line ministries. Climate-informed planning is now plausible; more significant integration of concerns with future climate change, however, will require more commitment and stronger connections among national planning stakeholders, adaptation actors, and research communities.     

Regional environmental assessment (REA) and local Agenda 21 implementation

The implementation of sustainable development requires several support instruments. One of the major instruments in the Rio Declaration to support this process has been environmental assessment that has been given considerable emphasis as to its potential ability to help achieve more sustainable forms of development. Regional environmental assessment (REA) has shown to be effective in supporting local sustainable development process. Selected environmental assessment methods have been␣used to improve the REA exercise and provide reliable data for decision-making not only to correct environmental problems due to past unsustainable social-economic developments but also help local governments to implement Agenda 21 (AG21) plans and projects.     

A methodology for assessing urban sustainability: Aalborg commitments baseline review for Riga, Latvia

Both the Aalborg Commitments and the guidance on integrated urban environmental management and sustainable urban transport plans proposed by the EU Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment foresee a baseline review as the first step in developing integrated urban management plans and systems. A baseline review of urban sustainability undertaken in Riga reveals significant discrepencies between the sustainability criteria of the Aalborg Commitments and the: responsibilities and competencies of the municipal government and administration as defined by statutes; policy goals and measures defined in municipal planning documents; policy goals and measures defined in the Riga Development Plan. To better orient the mandate of the municipality towards sustainable development, municipal statutes should be supplemented to more fully reflect the issues defined by the Aalborg Commitments and should include sustainability as a goal. In order to strengthen the implementation of sustainable development specific policy goals, measures and targets should be formulated for all the Aalborg Commitments issues when revising existing municipal planning documents or developing a municipal sustainable development management plan. An analysis of the European Common Indicators and the State of the Environment in Riga 2001 indicators indicates that they can only partially fulfill a monitoring function for the implementation of the Aalborg Commitments. This highlights a need to better coordinate sustainable development initiatives at the European level. The methodology used for the baseline review in Riga is useful for assessing the status of urban sustainability when preparing integrated urban management plans or systems, but requires testing elsewhere. Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Ecological Function Zoning for Environmental Planning at Different Levels

Environmental planning at different levels has been called for by environmental departments in China during last years to integrate environment consideration to economic development. Based on the accomplished environmental planning practice in Xiamen China, the paper suggests a general environmental planning process with ecological function zoning as its key steps, at the same time an effective method for ecological function zoning was formulated. The case studies of Dongfu suburban town environmental planning and Xiamen eco-city conceptual planning indicate that scientifically sound results of ecological function zoning can contribute to improving not only the adaptability and acceptability of environmental planning, also the environmental management and the decision-making. The experience shows that the ecological function zoning methods should be applied according to the principles of adaptive management, resource-based and community-based, so that it can integrate science into decision-making process, avoiding both narrow-minded viewpoints of planners and natural resource use conflicts among variety of stakeholders. Problems to be resolved in the future are also pointed out in the ending part.     

Study Progress and Trends of Strategic Environmental Assessment in China

Abstract

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in China has developed rapidly since it was introduced into China in the 1990s. Chinese government promulgated the Environmental Impact Assessment Law of China (hereinafter referred to as the EIA Law) in 2002. In this law, it is stipulated clearly that regional and sector plans should be assessed. Through investigating materials and analyzing literatures, this article analyses the practical and academic study achievements of SEA in China that have been achieved since the EIA Law was implemented, probes into the current situation of the main level of SEA in China—plan EIA, then summarizes the development characteristics, and eventually, puts forward the development trends of SEA in China. The research conclusions can offer the foundations for comprehending systematically the progress of SEA in China.     

近10年中国可持续发展研究进展与分析

可持续发展概念的提出以来,我国从学术界到社会各界分别进行了相应的研究和实践。可持续发展是一个涉及到自然、经济、社会三个子系统组成的动态、开放复杂系统,其研究内容涉及到地理学、资源管理、生态学、环境科学、人口学、系统工程、经济学、社会学等许多相关领域。为了实施闺家可持续发展战略．国寒加大了对可更新资源保护的力度、愿域生态环境建设工程的布局、区域综合减灾规划制定与工程的建设。与此间时。图家有关资源、环境、灾害管理等职能部门。从制定可持续发展途径出发．开展了大量的区域可持续发展研究。这些工作为区域可持续发展的理论和方法论建设提供了足够丰富的案例研究。利用中国知网网络平台和Google搜索引擎工具。检索并分析了我国可持续发展近10年的主要研究内容。即：可持续发展的理论研究、可持续发展的信息分类和指标体系以及评价的模型方法。在此基础上对今后的研究趋势进行了分析。认为可持续发展过程与机理研究、尺度问题、区域要素和地域结构的整合、区域综合集成以及区域要素变化、区域整体关系研究需要进一步加强。     

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and China’s implementation

The concept of sustainable development has experienced great development and change at different levels of theoretical connotation and practical implementation since 1960s and 1970s when it was first proposed. People’s understanding of the relationship between economy, society, and environment has been continuously deepened over the years. When it came to the end of 2015, it is necessary to examine the results of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals on sustainable development, and at the same time, the post-2015 framework and guidance on sustainable development at the global level were to be made, including the ideas, action plans, key areas that would guide the global sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has developed a 5P theoretical framework of being people-centered, global environmental security, sustained economic prosperity, social justice and harmony and partnership promotion, including a political declaration, 17 overarching goals and 169 specific targets, specific ways of implementation, as well as the follow-up. It is the road map to achieve global sustainable development and meet the requirements of the millennium development goals. This paper summarizes the understanding of the concept of sustainable development from its origin, its significant development, to the proposition and development of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and its strategic impact on China.     

Scientific Basis and Technological Path of Regional Strategic Environmental Assessment

Abstract

The study tries to set up a system to extract strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in exploitation of regional development based on the present situation of environmental assessment in China. First, the article summarizes the emphasis and deficiency of international academic community’s SEA research in the past 10 years. Based on this, the article puts forward the concept and evaluation principles of regional strategic environmental assessment (RSEA). Then the article expounds the necessity of carrying out RSEA. After that, the article discusses in detail the process of RSEA, which includes defining evaluation scope, describing regional background, combing strategic behavior, designing development scenarios, predicting the pressure on environment, assessing environmental impact, screening alternatives and proposing regulation and control schemes.