D4n Assessment of cumulative impacts in SEA
Jennifer Dixon, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Key issues to be addressed
Position Paper:
There has been much good work undertaken in the construction and development of SEA. Yet arguably SEA theory and practical application has not delivered as much as it should in respect to cumulative effects. The intent of this session is to move forward and make a difference to both our critical understanding and our practices. Three key issues stand out:
• The inclusion of cumulative effects assessment as integral to policy and planning at all levels (local to national). One problematic dimension that needs to be addressed in this regard is the often inter-jurisdictional nature of cumulative effects: how can we better deal with such complexity? Are our current methods sufficiently robust?
• Overcoming the disjunction that often exists between CEA and SEA. Whilst SEA implementation is now well advanced, we are still not taking sufficient account of cumulative effects at the level of practice
• The apparent inability of many government agencies to apply comprehensive cumulative effects practice. Despite well-established legal systems for planning and environmental assessment in many countries, systemic environmental problems such as contamination of ground water and air quality, depleting water resources, poor urban amenity and traffic congestion, still occur
The aim of this session will be, in a critical reflective and analytical context, to draw together knowledge and understanding of SEA and CEA, such that the successful incorporation of cumulative effects assessment into SEA might well constitute an exciting step forward in providing ways to tackle systemic problems that currently elude us
This session invites papers that will move beyond the descriptive to encompass critical reflection, analysis and pointers towards new thinking to address the gap between theory and practice. Papers are especially welcome which:
• Contribute towards a sharper analysis of the theoretical and practical relationship between cumulative effects and SEA
• Clearly identify problems of implementation and suggest solutions
• Propose new lines of enquiry and reflections that can be taken to the next conference