Strategic Environmental Assessment: Where does Hong Kong stand? LAM Kin Che Chairman, Advisory...
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Transcript of Strategic Environmental Assessment: Where does Hong Kong stand? LAM Kin Che Chairman, Advisory...
Strategic Environmental Assessment:
Where does Hong Kong stand?
LAM Kin Che
Chairman, Advisory Council on the EnvironmentHead, Department of Geography and Resource Management, CUHK
Workshop on Strategic Environmental Assessment 18 June 2005
The Whole World is on SEA• EU directive (2001)• China EIA Law (2002)• World Bank• UNEP• IAIA Prague SEA
Workshop
The Whole World is on SEA• SEA is good and
necessary• Solution to limitations
of project based EIAs• Effective, relevant and
accountable • Towards sustainability
Hong Kong Can’t Do Without SEA
• Hong Kong 2030 Planning Study• Lantau Concept Plan• Air quality in PRD• HK has a long way to go!
Challenges & Opportunities
• Aspiration for quality of life• Builds on experiences
• Territorial Development Strategy Review• 3rd Comprehensive Transport Study• 2nd Railway Development Study• World Bank Training Workshop in China
• Mainland China – SEA is embedded in EIA Law 2002
Need for SEA in Hong Kong
• To address unresolved environmental issues• Regional problems• Cross sectoral issues
(Ming Pao, 26 Jan 2004)
Need of SEA for Hong Kong
• To address unresolved environmental issues• Regional problems• Cross sectoral issues
• Changing role of HK in PRD• Manufacturing base or service centre• Tourism and eco-tourism• World City – global citizen
Sustainability
Conflictresolution
Alternatives
Participation
Strategy
Needs
Planning
Cost-benefitanalysis
Consensus
Policy
Alignment
Mitigation
Site selection
Consultation
Plan
Technical
Justification
Project Design
Yes-No Decision
Project
Expectations of the EA ProcessP
rojec
t A
pp
rais
al
Need for SEA in Hong Kong• Addressing limitations of project EIA
• Cumulative impacts• Comprehensive view of developments• Development options and alternatives
• Towards sustainability, better governance and more coherent policies
Hurdles and Constraints • Institution Building
• Transboundary collaboration• Cross-sectoral: Bureaux and Secretaries• Greater public participation and transparency
• Ownership• Stakeholders to buy in
• Capacity Building• Practitioners• Public• Methodology• SEA Follow-up• QA/QC
Hurdles and Constraints• Public Participation /
Empowerment• Public engagement
strategy• Early• Reach out to all sectors • Enable the public • Make the public your “free
consultants”
ConsultativeConsultative
ParticipativeParticipative
Hurdles and Constraints
• Transparency• Sustainability paragraph in EXCO papers• CASET• Assumptions• Clarification of values (hidden) and trade-offs• How much the public is informed of the advice
from the environmental and sustainability perspectives?
The sustainability assessment should be conducted at the early planning stage of a proposal. It should help scope out cross-sectoral issues and sensitive areas that require special attention or joint departmental examination at an early stage. It should also facilitate the relevant Bureaux or Departments to resolve the issues through a concerted effort.
With effect from April 2002, include in their submissions to the Executive Council (ExCo) and/or the Chief Secretary's Committee (now the Policy Committee) the sustainability assessment findings or results of their proposals.
Extracted fron SDU webpage
The sustainability assessment should be conducted at the early planning stage of a proposal. It should help scope out cross-sectoral issues and sensitive areas that require special attention or joint departmental examination at an early stage. It should also facilitate the relevant Bureaux or Departments to resolve the issues through a concerted effort.
With effect from April 2002, include in their submissions to the Executive Council (ExCo) and/or the Chief Secretary's Committee (now the Policy Committee) the sustainability assessment findings or results of their proposals.
Extracted fron SDU webpage
The Weakest Link : Buying-in
• Resistance• Political complexity• Fear of power sharing• Difference mode of governance• “Bad” experience of public consultation
Ideology of Governance
Mainstream of Environmental Management
Environment
Prevention
Government
Upstream of Environmental
Management
Sustainability
Integrated Planning
Public Participation
The Weakest Link : Buying-in
• How to win their support? • Address some “bad” public
participation experience• Let them see the positive side
• Early buy-in => less resistance and greater certainty in project planning
• Good for the society, good for the government
Conclusion• The whole world is on SEA• There is a strong case for SEA in HK• Hong Kong has considerable
experience• We still have a long way to go
• Institution building, capacity building, public engagement, increasing transparency
• Key stakeholders must buy in
• We cannot afford not to do SEA