Strategic Environmental Assessment

Strategic Environmental Assessment
Case Study
Improvement Navigability Seine-Escaut Waterways, Walloon Region,
Belgium (part of TEN-T projects)
Waterways Seminar Belgium-Brazil
Brasília, 2-3th April 2012
Presentation...
... around two axes
-
Strategic Environmental Assessment as a crucial decision tool for
the Government Institutions
-
Regulation requirements and applications : case study Improvement of the Seine-Escaut waterways in the Walloon Region,
Belgium.

Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T)

« Liaison fluviale Seine-Escaut – tronçon transfrontalier entre
Compiègne et Gand » - 2007-EU-30010-P. Decision C(2008) 8141
du 15.12.2008.
STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
AS A CRUCIAL DECISION TOOL FOR
GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS
SEA : definition and
origin
-
SEA = Strategic Environmental Assessment is a system whereby
environmental considerations are incorporated into policies, plans, programs
and strategies
-
Origin : legally enforced assessment procedures required by the EU Directive
2001/42/EC (known as the SEA Directive)
-
SEAs are conducted before the corresponding Environmental Impact
Assessments (EIAs)
 Allowing to cascade down through the tiers of decision making
SEA application...
-
Wide range of public plans and programs
Prepared or adopted by an authority (at national, regional or local level)
required by legislative, regulatory or administrative provisions
-
Mandatory for :

Agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, industry, transport, waste/ water
management, telecommunications, tourism, town & country planning or land
use plans or programs
= framework for future EIA projects

Assessment requirements under the Habitats Directive
SEA as an operational tool for
decision makers...
1) Identifying, assessing environmental impacts, sustain existing planning
procedures
2) Examinating developed alternatives or variants
3) Ensuring high level environmental protection
4) Integrating environmental aspects into decision process (into policy decisions)
from the early stages  environmentally friendly solutions
SEA as an operational tool for
decision makers...
5) Ensuring consistency between decisions made and environmental policy
objectives
6) Itemising environmental effects on large scale, identifying project linked
cumulative effects
9) Completing project EIAs, obtained results as a framework for the following
more specific and effective EIAs
REGULATION REQUIREMENTS AND
APPLICATION : CASE STUDY
SEA – Improvement Seine-Escaut
Waterways, Walloon Region, Belgium
(PART OF TEN-T PROJECTS)
Western
Europe
BRUSSELS
PARIS
A decision tool
in 12 steps ...
Step 1 : Governmental plan
description
Step 2 : Main goals of the
plan and alternative
solutions
Step 3 : Link and continuity
with other official plans
and programs
Global scale plan ...
... 114 km of waterways
Governmental plan :
initial interventions
1. Lys Mitoyenne
4. Canal Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes (1)
2. Haut-Escaut
5. Canal Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes (2)
3. Canal Pommeroeul-Condé
6. Canal du Centre
7. Canal Charleroi-Bruxelles versant
Sambre
8. Basse Sambre
Definition of reasonable
alternative solutions ...
-
Evaluation and comparison of the alternatives, so as to choose the best
planning and execution option
-
Some alternatives excluded as they were technically and/or financially
unrealisable
-
Alternatives also subject to an environmental assessment
Alternative zero
No works or modifications
Alternative 1
All works previously mentioned achieved, except
the restoration of the Pommeroeul – Conde
Channel
Alternative 2
Alternative 3
All works previously mentioned achieved,
except for the works planned for the Haut –
Escaut waterway
All works previously mentioned achieved,
except for the modifications planned in
Comines
Alternative 4
All works previously mentioned achieved, except for the works
and modifications planned on: the Pommeroeul-Condé
Channel, the Nimy-Blaton Channel, the Central Channel, the
Charleroi – Bruxelles Channel (Sambre and Basse-Sambre
side)
Alternative 5
All works previously mentioned achieved, but with an overall
deepening of the channel to 3 m everywhere (instead of 2,5
metres)
Note - local variations (original solutions/propositions vs. substitution solutions)
SEA backbone …
… Steps 4 to 9 of the SEA procedures
Step 4. Present and future environmental status, should the project not go
forward
Step 5. Environmental characteristics of areas that are likely to be worst affected
Step 6. Environmental issues linked to and derived from the application of the
project. Special attention to environmentally significant areas
Step 7. Analysis previously defined international, community and member state
environmental objectives
Step 8 and Step 9. Impact assessment and recommendations
Environmental aspects
covered
1.
Soil and Groundwater
Method :
2.
Surface Waters
3.
Biodiversity
For each criterion (theme), definition of
relevant sub-criteria
4.
Landscape
5.
Heritage
6.
Transport and Mobility
7.
Noise and Vibrations
8.
Air Quality
9.
Energy
10. Human Health
Assessment  scores (quantitative or
qualitative indicators)
Matrix of scores
Overall result and reasoning :
 Multi-criteria analysis (MCA)
Environmental impact matrix
Surface Waters & Groundwater
Tronçon
Tronçon 1
Alternativ
e0
Alternativ
e1
Alternative
2
Alternative
3
Alternative
4
Alternative
5
Qualité structurale
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Besoins en ressources en
eau
-1
0
-1
-1
0
-1
-1
Qualité des eaux de
surface
+1
0
+1
0
+1
+1
+1
20.000
0
20.000
20.000
0
20.000
20.000
Qualité structurale
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Besoins en ressources en
eau
-1
0
-1
0
-1
-1
-1
Qualité des eaux de
surface
0
0
0
0
0
0
+1
Dragage des sédiments
(m³)
0
0
0
0
0
0
83.234
Qualité structurale
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Besoins en ressources en
eau
-2
0
0
-2
-2
0
-2
Qualité des eaux de
surface
+1
0
0
+1
+1
+1
+1
100.000
0
0
100.000
100.000
100.000
105.433
Qualité structurale
0
0
+1
0
0
0
0
Besoins en ressources en
eau
0
0
-2
0
0
0
0
Qualité des eaux de
surface
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Dragage des sédiments
(m³)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Lys Mitoyenne
From the analysis
for each and
every aspect:
Dragage des sédiments
(m³)
Tronçon 2
Escaut
 environmental
impact matrix
 results
inserted in multicriteria analysis
PLAN
Critères
Tronçon 3
Canal
PommeroeulCondé
Dragage des sédiments
(m³)
Tronçon 4
Nimy-B-P
(Péronnes –
Pommeroeul)
Environmental impact matrix
Surface Waters & Groundwater
Tronçon 5
Tronçon 6
Nimy-B-P
Qualité structurale
(Pommeroe
Besoins en
ul-Nimy)
ressources en eau
Qualité des eaux de
surface
Dragage des
sédiments (m³)
Centre
Qualité structurale
Besoins en
ressources en eau
Qualité des eaux de
surface
Dragage des
sédiments (m³)
Tronçon 7
Charl.-Bxl
Qualité structurale
Besoins en
ressources en eau
Qualité des eaux de
surface
Dragage des
sédiments (m³)
Tronçon 8
Basse
Sambre
Qualité structurale
Besoins en
ressources en eau
Qualité des eaux de
surface
Dragage des
sédiments (m³)
+1
0
+1
+1
+1
0
+1
-2
0
-2
-2
-2
0
-2
0
0
0
0
0
0
+1
0
0
0
0
0
0
192.029
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-2
0
-2
-2
-2
0
-2
0
0
0
0
0
0
+1
0
0
0
0
0
0
146.562
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-2
0
-2
-2
-2
0
-2
0
0
0
0
0
0
+1
0
0
0
0
0
0
511.521
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-2
0
-2
-2
-2
0
-2
0
0
0
0
0
0
+1
0
0
0
0
0
0
342.257
Mobility
Impact matrix
PLAN
Alternative 0
Alternative 1
Alternative 2
Alternative 3
Alternative 4
Alternative 5
Tronçon 1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
Tronçon 2
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
Tronçon 3
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
Tronçon 4
-1
0
1
0
-1
1
-1
Tronçon 5
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
Tronçon 6
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
Tronçon 7
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
Tronçon 8
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
Multicriteria analysis (MCA) as a
decision making tool ...
… Step 10 : Choice of the preferred solution
Objectives : facilitate interpretation and assessment of the likely impacts
(macroscopic scale)
• “D-Sight” specialised software (PROMETHEUS-GAIA method)
• No alternative optimises simultaneously all evaluation criteria ; presents the most
suitable alternative
• Provides the alternative which will be the least affected by evaluation criteria
modifications
Multicriteria analysis (MCA) as a
decision making tool ...
Results interpreted with caution :
-
SEA considers only environmental aspects (in the broadest of sense)
-
Tool used to enable users to better understand the environmental impact
matrix
-
Cannot be used to define the most appropriate alternative
-
Obtain the best alternative, if criteria such as economic, social, technological
are taken into consideration
Multicriteria analysis (MCA) as a
decision making tool ...
Criterion weight and sensitivity analysis:
Two scenarios considered for the Belgian plan (Wallonia) :
 Analysis A
Weight scaling : greater weight to strategic environmental topics, s.a.:
mobility, air quality and energy. Whilst “average/local” environmental
topics are not modified.
 Analysis B
Equal scale weighting between all environmental disciplines considered
Multicriteria analysis (MCA) as a
decision making tool ...
Prometheus A - Analysis
Multicriteria analysis (MCA) as a
decision making tool ...
Prometheus B - Analysis
Multicriteria analysis
Conclusion
A – Analysis vs. B – Analysis:


Analysis A = best decision making tool, as it better reflects the real/actual
situation
A- Analysis interpretation:
 Do nothing = inferior option
 Therefore project realisation, or of any project alternative is justified
 Two alternatives achieve positive outcomes – overall Project and Alternative 5
 Choice between the 2 solutions based on other criteria by the Governmental
Authorities (technical feasibility, financial criteria)
Last steps ...
… Step 11. Limits of the assessment
… Step 12. Monitoring measures
-
Monitoring execution and planning
-
Monitoring
significant
environmental
implementation/realisation of the project
-
Ensuring that
requirements
interventions/works
meet
effects
all
arising
environmental
from
the
regulatory
… Public audience and finalization agreement procedure
(Introduction PLAN + its envir. declaration to the Walloon Government : Dec. 2011)
Thank you for your
attention