Planning Environmental Impact Assessment Orienting Sustainable Development: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Strategic Environmental Assessment is a frontier subject in the field of Environmental Impact Assessment. In the past two decades, especially in recent years, much more importance has been attached to Strategic Environmental Assessment. The Environmental Impact Assessment Law of the P.R. China which was promulgated provides a great opportunity for the development of Planning Environmental Impact Assessment and brings great challenges for the development of traditional Project Environmental Impact Assessment and Planning Environmental Impact Assessment at the same time. In order to promote the implementation of “The EIA Law”, the inherent limitations of Project Environmental Impact Assessment must be identified sufficiently and the theory research and practice of Planning Environmental Impact Assessment should be strengthened as well. Measures should be taken currently to enforce the operation system. The authors wish to offer a few references to the progress and implementation of Planning Environmental Impact Assessment in China.     

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.     

Study Progress and Trends of Strategic Environmental Assessment in China

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.     

基于生态系统服务功能价值评估的土地利用总体规划环境影响评价研究

随着全国性、地区性土地利用总体规划的制定与实施，探讨适台于土地利用总体规划环境影响评价的技术方法显得相当重要。在对生态系统服务功能价值评估研究进展进行评述的基础上。分析了生态系统服务功能价值评估在土地利用总体规划环境影响评价中应用的必要性．并结合实例对其应用方法进行了探讨．实例分析表明，生态系统服务功能价值评估在土地利用总体规划环评中的应用具有把土地利用的生态效益转化为简单易懂的货币形式．可为决策者提供直观的生态信息及生态系统服务功能价值。可作为一项量化指标。对土地利用总体规划目标及规划方案的生态效益进行综合评估，且核算简单。有助于节省规划环评的时间和资源等优势，本文还指出了进一步研究的方向。     

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.     

环境影响评价需要新的突破

中国环境影响评价已取得巨大成绩，在项目建设、区域发展中起着重要的作用，成为环境保护的重要保证手段。但中国环境影响评价依然存在十分突出的问题，还不能充分发挥其应有的功能。为此，环境影响评价应坚持正确的价值观，要打破环评单位隶属于项目建设单位的主从关系，环境单位要有独立行使调整、考察、分析、评价和下环评结论的权利；环境影响评价的时间要适时、充分，杜绝项目先上马后补环评，或项目要上马临时补环评的做法；战略环评应在宏观发展战略发挥更大的作用，成为国家宏观调控的有力工具之一；要构建环评的公共服务信息平台，反对信息部门垄断和数据虚假；环评方法贵在创新、重在实用，要积极应用新方法、新技术，反对数学方法与模型的滥用。     

旅游规划的环境影响识别探讨

2003年《中华人民共和国环境影响评价法》的实施,标志着我国的规划环境影响评价开始进入制度化阶段,旅游规划也是其中要求进行环境影响评价并编写环评报告书的10个专项规划类型之一。但是目前我国旅游规划的环境影响评价工作尚处于起步阶段,其理论与技术性问题都需要进一步改进。例如,处于旅游规划环境影响评价过程中承上启下重要环节的环境影响识别就缺乏成熟的技术方法。在阐释旅游规划环境影响识别的定义及重要性的基础上,通过对已有文献资料及实践案例的分析与研究,总结与探讨了旅游规划环境影响识别的主体、受体和效应。最后以青海湖景区旅游规划为例,应用矩阵法识别了所规划项目与活动对青海湖地区自然资源、景观资源、生态环境、环境敏感区及社会经济文化的可能影响,以给类似旅游规划的环境影响识别工作提供经验借鉴.     

战略环境评价在中国的发展及方法学探讨

本文在回顾和评述战略评价（SEA）的发展状况的基础上，从概念和实践的角度，对SEA方法学作了初步探讨，并提出SEA方法学研究的一般思路。     

城市开发区大气环境影响评价研究--以扬州市经济技术开发区为例

对开发区进行环境影响评价是开发区可持续发展的需要。大气作为环境的重要要素，其状况优劣对开发区的发展及布局都产生较大的影响，因而大气环境影响评价是环境影响评价体系中不可缺少的组成部分。如何进行开发区的大气环境影响评价，国内已取得了不少经验，但仍在探索之中。对城市开发区大气环境影响评价的内容和方法进行了探讨；以扬州市经济技术开发区为例，进行了分析、预测和评价，对环境评价中的公众参与环节进行了有益的探索与尝试；对开发区进行了大气功能区划分，给出了开发区大气主要污染物总量控制方案；最后，针对扬州市经济技术开发区的实情，在产业发展方向、项目规划布局、能源使用、绿化、环境管理以及土地管理等方面提出了环境保护的对策和建议。     

Environmental impact assessment application in infrastructural projects in Malawi

The current increase in the number of development projects in Malawi is leading to loss of natural resources and the general degradation of the environment. Both the Malawi Environmental Management Act of 1996 and the Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment of 1997, prescribe a list of infrastructural projects that must undergo environmental impact assessment (EIA) before their implementation. This study identifies the key limitations of EIA application to infrastructural projects in Malawi. A desktop study used to gather information in this study involved a review of several documents such as EIA reports, policies and laws, books, journals and internet articles. Primary data was obtained from policymakers, contractors, EIA practitioners and the general public using both structured and unstructured interviews, as well as through questionnaires. Focus group discussions and direct observations were employed wherever necessary in the study. Major limitations to successful EIA in infrastructural projects in Malawi include: (1) limited experience and practice of EIA practitioners; (2) cost of EIA process; (3) limited links between EIA and urban planning procedures; (4) lack of political will; (5) project delays; (6) lack of effective monitoring and auditing, (7) lack of data, especially those to be used in predictive models. This violates the principles of sustainability science and the international best practices for EIA that were developed by the International Association for Impact Assessment. It is recommended that active environmental management should actively involve the interests of all stakeholders, and that follow up of predicted environmental impacts resulting from any project should entail monitoring, auditing and reporting.     

International Legal Instruments and Regional Environmental Protection

Efficient environmental protection requires global, as well as regional ecological strategies. During the last decade numerous attempts at regional and global environmental protection have been made. But industrial environmental protection is still, above all, a national matter. National emission limit values and international technological standards still neglect to a large extent the regional aspects of pollution prevention. Recent normative texts (international standards, European directives) can be seen as the first step to filling this gap. They represent different evolutionary stages on the way from merely technocentric to regionally integrated environmental protection. We investigate the potential of some of these normative texts to operationalise regional environmental strategies. For this purpose we will provide a framework for evaluation centred on the following questions: ? Is the installation/project/organisation perceived as part of its specific environment? ? Can local immission standards be developed on the basis of a functional classification of ecosystems? ? Are methods of integrated ecological evaluation supported? The framework will be applied to examine the European directives on Environmental Impact Assessment and Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control and two ISO (International Standardisation Organisation) standards on Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001 and 14004) with regard to basic requirements for operationalising integrated regional environmental protection.     

论可持续发展观的贯彻与水资源论证制度的完善

可持续发展理念要求以环境资源承载力为依据规范人们开发、利用自然资源的行为。水资源论证制度是贯彻、实施可持续发展理念的良好制度形式,对于促进经济社会可持续发展意义重大,但我国现行立法中规定的水资源论证制度还不完善,影响了制度作用的充分发挥。完善相关立法,提高水资源论证制度的法律地位,是在水资源管理与保护方面贯彻可持续发展要求的关键任务。     

三峡库区生活垃圾的重金属污染程度评价

长期以来,我国的城市生活垃圾处理与处置主要以填埋为主,且大部分为简易填埋或堆放,形成众多的垃圾堆放场。它们不仅影响周围的生态环境,而且威胁到居民的身体健康,特别是不少堆存的生活垃圾受到重金属元素不同程度的污染,任意放置可能会产生严重的后果,所以评价生活垃圾的重金属元素污染程度有助于垃圾堆放场的环境影响评价以及污染防治措施的提出。以三峡库区为例,通过测定三峡库区各个区县主要垃圾堆放场堆存生活垃圾的重金属元素含量, 包括砷、铅、铬、镉和汞,采用单因子评价和综合评价法确定三峡库区堆存生活垃圾的重金属污染程度,为库区的环境保护提供决策支持。     

Comparison between the Chinese EIA Guidelines for Air Dispersion Modelling and the Advanced Air Dispersion Model ADMS

1 INTRODUCTION According to the Environmental Protection Law of P.R. China, and the Environmental Protection Management Method on Construction Projects the Technical Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (HJ/T 2.1~2. 3-93) have defined how environmental impact assessment should be carried out for construction projects, in terms of the general principle, methodology, contents and requirements. Technical Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment on the Atmosphe…     

生态足迹在城市规划环境评价中的应用——以苏州市域城镇体系规划为例

以苏州市域城镇体系规划为例,探讨运用生态足迹进行融合型规划环境影响评价的方法,为规划环评较早地介入规划编制过程进行了有益的探索：在规划编制初期,确定规划的生态底限,农业用地、非农建设用地和水域的面积不低于3 728、1 016和2 019 km2;在规划编制过程中,根据现状评价的结果提出耕地是苏州城市发展的限制因子,水资源是优势因子,并估算了规划实施前后苏州市的生态足迹和生态承载力的变化情况。结果表明：规划实施后,苏州市的人均生态赤字有加大的趋势,耕地的赤字是最主要的贡献者,草地和能源用地的生态盈亏无变化,林地的生态赤字将减少,建设用地和水域的生态盈余将增加。依据该结果提出了减缓生态赤字的措施以及调整规划的意见：优化城镇发展空间,提高中心城市的容积率,置换出一定面积的生态用地,降低耕地的生态赤字;发展大运量的轨道交通和水路运输,减少交通能耗和机动车尾气的排放,降低能源用地的生态赤字。     

生态系统评价的回顾与展望--从北美生态区域评价到新千年全球生态系统评估

生态系统评价对于生态系统的可持续经营以及社会可持续发展具有重要意义。本文简要介绍了在生态区域评价的发展过程中具有重要意义的一系列事件，阐述了生态系统评价在北美和全球的发展过程、生态系统评价的有关概念、内容及其对于生态系统可持续经营的重要意义，同时还介绍了我国参与新千年生态系统评估的一些行动，并对中国的生态系统评价提出看法。     

基于应对不确定性的战略环境评价管理模式设计与应用

战略环境评价是目前环境评价领域中令人关注的前沿课题，但是不确定性却客观地、广泛地存在于战略环境评价中，这给战略环评的有效性实施带来很多的障碍。在介绍不确定性概念及其在战略环评中内涵的基础上，针对战略环境评价的特点，基于应对不确定性，建立了战略环境评价的管理模式，包括“早期介入、工作程序互动、战略制定与战略环评的融合、跟踪评价”的4个方面。通过这种管理模式的实施运用，来顺应战略环评的不确定性，更好地应对不确定性，能更好地满足战略环评的需要，并提高其有效性。以江苏省金坛市城南新区规划环境影响评价为例，进行了该管理模式的初步运用。研究表明：通过早期介入、战略环境评价与规划编制过程的互动及融合，能确保在规划编制阶段较早地、及时地、系统地考虑不确定的规划要素及环境因素，有利于通过战略环境评价为规划的编制与未来的实施提供科学的、客观的并易于规划编制机构接受的环境保护对策和政策建议。     

海底可燃冰开发环境风险多元共治之论证与路径展开

有效规制海底可燃冰开发伴生的多种类型生态环境风险,是保障可燃冰产业健康发展的内在需求。本文的主要目的即在中国现行法律体系规定的多元共治的环境法治理念和制度框架下,研究海底可燃冰开发环境风险多元共治的理论基础、现实必要性及其制度路径。文章主要运用类型化方法来梳理与归纳海底可燃冰开发引致环境风险的具体类型;运用理论分析与价值分析方法,论证海底可燃冰开发环境风险多元共治的必要性;运用法教义学分析、比较分析与系统分析方法,检视与剖析我国传统行政管制模式下的制度体系在规制海底可燃冰开发环境风险中的绩效与利弊,归纳与展开海底可燃冰开发环境风险多元共治的制度路径。本文的基本结论是,传统环境管制模式难以有效治理海底可燃冰开发引致的新型环境风险,当前我国所创新的环境多元共治模式,可以矫正政府单维管制海底可燃冰开发环境风险中的缺陷、弥补"监管之法"在规制海底可燃冰开发环境风险中的疏漏、克服单一行政命令方式在规制海底可燃冰开发环境风险中的困境,系统构建海底可燃冰开发环境风险多元治理体系。在完善行政监管和推进私人治理两个层面对海底可燃冰开发环境风险多元共治的基础上提出具体建议。在完善行政监管层面,我国《环境保护法》《海洋环境保护法》等法律规范经过拓展解释适用,仍然因为规制路径的间接性、零散性而产生内生弊端,亟待专门立法;在推进私人治理层面,多元共治机制分为多元主体参与机制与诉讼机制,应重视通过鼓励环保公益组织、可燃冰行业协会与私人等多元主体采取多元参与和私益诉讼方式,以发挥其在规制海底可燃冰开发环境风险中的综合效用。     

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。     

绿色产业与绿色产业法

环境保护产业化是环保工作发展的主要趋势之一。在理论研究和实际工作中。环保产业、环境产业、绿色产业等概念的研究与应用日趋增多。就环境法学而言，界定一个适应环保产业发展的相关概念，并研究其相关法制的构建与发展是十分必要的。绿色产业与绿色产业法研究正是这一思路的具体落实。