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Review for Environmental Impact Assessment Review
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Environmental Impact Assessment Review 28 (2008) 226 – 227 www.elsevier.com/locate/eiar
Book review Review for Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Theory & Practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment — Towards a more systematic approach, Thomas Fischer, Earthscan, 8–12 Camden High Street, London NW1 0JH, UK(2007), 186 pages, ISBN: 978-1-84407-452-5 In Theory & Practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment — Towards a more systematic approach, Thomas Fischer argues that the diverse applications of SEA around the world would benefit from following ‘certain core principles’ that should ‘underlie any SEA’ (p.142). Building on this assumption Fischer sets out to develop and promote a more systematic approach to SEA, and outlines four objectives for the book: to portray current conceptual ideas and further develop these, to provide an overview of fundamental principles and rules of SEA, to report on SEA practice according to a systematic framework, and to advance SEA theory. As SEA enters its third decade of burgeoning practice and scholarly debate (some will argue for a longer timeframe, linking SEA to the approval of the US National Environmental Policy Act, 1969), it seems indeed useful to produce a book that combines the developments of theory and practice, with the aim of taking both one step further. The book is organised in seven chapters. The opening chapter What is Strategic Environmental Assessment lays out the fundamental concepts of SEA, and the author's perspective on the rapidly growing body of literature and practice on the subject. Fischer touches upon issues of process, benefits, and the differences with project Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). He includes more efficient decision-making and the support for governance and sustainability as reasons for adopting SEA. The chapter closes with a set of effectiveness criteria to be used as review criteria for SEA systems (Chapter 4) and land use SEA case studies (Chapter 6). Chapter 2, Strategic Environmental Assessment Process, Methods and Techniques, expands on the role and purpose of SEA, and discusses the choice of methods and tools. In Identifying Appropriate Issues and Alterdoi:10.1016/j.eiar.2007.11.002
natives to be Addressed in SEA: The importance of a tiered approach, Chapter 3, Fischer explores the differences in SEA practice, depending on the ‘decision-making tier’ to which the system is applied: policies plans or programmes. He looks at cases in the transport, electricity and land-use sectors. Chapter 4, Comparative Review of 11 Established Strategic Environmental Assessment Systems, examines a range of so-called ‘administrative’ and ‘cabinet’ SEAs in various European countries, the United States, Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand, in terms of contextual, procedural, and methodological factors, with the aim of helping readers to ‘understand… the specific circumstances of those systems… [and] what the underlying factors for producing good SEAs may be’ (p.103). In The European SEA Directive: Its transposition and implementation in the member states, Chapter 5, the scope and content of the Directive are discussed, and the reader is given a brief outline of its transposition in the national legal system of 25 member States (excluding Portugal, Greece and Luxembourg). This rather general account is followed by a detailed account of five case studies: Spatial and Land Use Case Studies, Chapter 6, from The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany and Austria. Finally, Chapter 7 presents Summary and Conclusions. The book thus covers a rather wide range of issues, providing an overview of concepts, methods, legal systems and practice, and – not surprisingly – the 151 pages plus annexes at times fall short of an in depth analysis. This leads to strengths and weaknesses. Fischer writes clearly, structuring each chapter and section with the use of lists, figures and tables that help the reader to identify the main messages that should be learned. In Chapter 4 he presents previously unpublished findings of the comparative analysis of eleven SEA systems, making a contribution to our understanding of current state of the art. He also includes an annex that provides a set of questions for each chapter, helping students to revise their understanding of the main issues. Perhaps the main weakness of this work lies in the inconsistency between the title and the stated aim and
Book review
objectives — and the actual contents of the book. This was meant to be a contribution towards strengthening the theory of SEA and promoting a ‘more systematic approach’ in the practice of SEA. Yet, somewhat surprisingly, these two fundamental aspects did not merit a chapter of their own, and indeed, the reader will have to reconstruct the contribution to these themes through a careful reading of all the chapters. However, she or he may not be fully satisfied with the results. The theory of SEA is understood here as the exploration of three main aspects (discussed in Chapter 1): the rationale for SEA, the benefits of SEA, the reasons and criteria that define SEA effectiveness. There is no in depth analysis of theoretical questions such as the essence of ‘strategic’, the interpretation of ‘environment’ and the nature of ‘assessment’. Fischer discusses the claim that SEA is to contribute to sustainable development but falls short of answering crucial questions about the conceptual and practical differences (if any) between SEA and the many alternative systems, including sustainable impact assessment. He explains (p.15) that ‘empirical evidence for what makes integration [of economic, environmental and social issues] effective in order to really lead to more balanced decision-making has remained thin’. This may be (but see: Gibson et al. 2005), however, one would expect a theoretical treatment of this topic, given the title and objectives of the book. The reader will also feel disappointed that theoretical and practical implications of very interesting findings, such as the suggestion (in Chapter 4, p.101) that there is ‘some scope to challenge the claim that a high degree of procedural flexibility… is always required’ in SEAs applied to very strategic decisions (such as laws and policies) are not followed up. It is from the – rather brief – analysis of Chapter 1 that Fischer develops the ‘systematic approach’ which is the stated aim of the book. The approach revolves around: ‘the choice of sustainable processes; the consideration of appropriate issues and alternatives; the choice of appropriate methods and techniques’ (p.146). Neither this proposal, nor the theoretical contribution, goes far enough to make a substantial new contribution to the existing SEA discourse (theoretical, or practical).
227
Thomas Fischer sets out to make an additional contribution to the body of SEA literature, following his own book on SEA of transport and land-use planning (Fischer, 2002) and the publication of no less than three books on SEA (in English alone) during 2005: one exploring international experience (Dalal-Clayton and Sadler 2005), another looking at SEA and land-use planning (Jones et al. 2005), and a third on the implementation of SEA (Schmidt et al. 2005). He has partly succeeded thanks to the explicit targeting of ‘an international audience… students and practitioners who are new to SEA or who wish to refresh their knowledge on the subject’ (p.141). In this sense the book will certainly provide such introductory outline, and a mixture of key principles – which become the basis of the ‘systematic approach’ – and examples through case studies, as well as a brief overview of the legal systems in a range of countries. Practitioners and scholars who are familiar with the basics of SEA may find this contribution less useful, and very few readers will find the theoretical treatment of this subject sufficient. References Dalal-Clayton B, Sadler B. Strategic Environmental Assessment: A sourcebook and reference guide to international experience. London, Earthscan; 2005. Fischer TB. Strategic Environmental Assessment in Transport and Land-use Planning. London, Earthscan; 2002. Gibson RB, Hassan S, Holtz S, Tansey J, Whitelaw G, editors. Sustainability Assessment: criteria and processes. London, Earthscan; 2005. Jones C, Baker M, Carter J, Jay S, Short M, Wood C, editors. Strategic Environmental Assessment and Land Use Planning. London, Earthscan; 2005. Schmidt M, João E, Albrecht E, editors. Implementing Strategic Environmental Assessment. Berlin-Heidelberg, Springler; 2005.
Olivia Bina Research Fellow, Centre of Philosophy, University of Lisbon, Portugal E-mail address: [email protected].
Environmental Impact Assessment Review 28 (2008) 226 – 227 www.elsevier.com/locate/eiar
Book review Review for Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Theory & Practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment — Towards a more systematic approach, Thomas Fischer, Earthscan, 8–12 Camden High Street, London NW1 0JH, UK(2007), 186 pages, ISBN: 978-1-84407-452-5 In Theory & Practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment — Towards a more systematic approach, Thomas Fischer argues that the diverse applications of SEA around the world would benefit from following ‘certain core principles’ that should ‘underlie any SEA’ (p.142). Building on this assumption Fischer sets out to develop and promote a more systematic approach to SEA, and outlines four objectives for the book: to portray current conceptual ideas and further develop these, to provide an overview of fundamental principles and rules of SEA, to report on SEA practice according to a systematic framework, and to advance SEA theory. As SEA enters its third decade of burgeoning practice and scholarly debate (some will argue for a longer timeframe, linking SEA to the approval of the US National Environmental Policy Act, 1969), it seems indeed useful to produce a book that combines the developments of theory and practice, with the aim of taking both one step further. The book is organised in seven chapters. The opening chapter What is Strategic Environmental Assessment lays out the fundamental concepts of SEA, and the author's perspective on the rapidly growing body of literature and practice on the subject. Fischer touches upon issues of process, benefits, and the differences with project Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). He includes more efficient decision-making and the support for governance and sustainability as reasons for adopting SEA. The chapter closes with a set of effectiveness criteria to be used as review criteria for SEA systems (Chapter 4) and land use SEA case studies (Chapter 6). Chapter 2, Strategic Environmental Assessment Process, Methods and Techniques, expands on the role and purpose of SEA, and discusses the choice of methods and tools. In Identifying Appropriate Issues and Alterdoi:10.1016/j.eiar.2007.11.002
natives to be Addressed in SEA: The importance of a tiered approach, Chapter 3, Fischer explores the differences in SEA practice, depending on the ‘decision-making tier’ to which the system is applied: policies plans or programmes. He looks at cases in the transport, electricity and land-use sectors. Chapter 4, Comparative Review of 11 Established Strategic Environmental Assessment Systems, examines a range of so-called ‘administrative’ and ‘cabinet’ SEAs in various European countries, the United States, Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand, in terms of contextual, procedural, and methodological factors, with the aim of helping readers to ‘understand… the specific circumstances of those systems… [and] what the underlying factors for producing good SEAs may be’ (p.103). In The European SEA Directive: Its transposition and implementation in the member states, Chapter 5, the scope and content of the Directive are discussed, and the reader is given a brief outline of its transposition in the national legal system of 25 member States (excluding Portugal, Greece and Luxembourg). This rather general account is followed by a detailed account of five case studies: Spatial and Land Use Case Studies, Chapter 6, from The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany and Austria. Finally, Chapter 7 presents Summary and Conclusions. The book thus covers a rather wide range of issues, providing an overview of concepts, methods, legal systems and practice, and – not surprisingly – the 151 pages plus annexes at times fall short of an in depth analysis. This leads to strengths and weaknesses. Fischer writes clearly, structuring each chapter and section with the use of lists, figures and tables that help the reader to identify the main messages that should be learned. In Chapter 4 he presents previously unpublished findings of the comparative analysis of eleven SEA systems, making a contribution to our understanding of current state of the art. He also includes an annex that provides a set of questions for each chapter, helping students to revise their understanding of the main issues. Perhaps the main weakness of this work lies in the inconsistency between the title and the stated aim and
Book review
objectives — and the actual contents of the book. This was meant to be a contribution towards strengthening the theory of SEA and promoting a ‘more systematic approach’ in the practice of SEA. Yet, somewhat surprisingly, these two fundamental aspects did not merit a chapter of their own, and indeed, the reader will have to reconstruct the contribution to these themes through a careful reading of all the chapters. However, she or he may not be fully satisfied with the results. The theory of SEA is understood here as the exploration of three main aspects (discussed in Chapter 1): the rationale for SEA, the benefits of SEA, the reasons and criteria that define SEA effectiveness. There is no in depth analysis of theoretical questions such as the essence of ‘strategic’, the interpretation of ‘environment’ and the nature of ‘assessment’. Fischer discusses the claim that SEA is to contribute to sustainable development but falls short of answering crucial questions about the conceptual and practical differences (if any) between SEA and the many alternative systems, including sustainable impact assessment. He explains (p.15) that ‘empirical evidence for what makes integration [of economic, environmental and social issues] effective in order to really lead to more balanced decision-making has remained thin’. This may be (but see: Gibson et al. 2005), however, one would expect a theoretical treatment of this topic, given the title and objectives of the book. The reader will also feel disappointed that theoretical and practical implications of very interesting findings, such as the suggestion (in Chapter 4, p.101) that there is ‘some scope to challenge the claim that a high degree of procedural flexibility… is always required’ in SEAs applied to very strategic decisions (such as laws and policies) are not followed up. It is from the – rather brief – analysis of Chapter 1 that Fischer develops the ‘systematic approach’ which is the stated aim of the book. The approach revolves around: ‘the choice of sustainable processes; the consideration of appropriate issues and alternatives; the choice of appropriate methods and techniques’ (p.146). Neither this proposal, nor the theoretical contribution, goes far enough to make a substantial new contribution to the existing SEA discourse (theoretical, or practical).
227
Thomas Fischer sets out to make an additional contribution to the body of SEA literature, following his own book on SEA of transport and land-use planning (Fischer, 2002) and the publication of no less than three books on SEA (in English alone) during 2005: one exploring international experience (Dalal-Clayton and Sadler 2005), another looking at SEA and land-use planning (Jones et al. 2005), and a third on the implementation of SEA (Schmidt et al. 2005). He has partly succeeded thanks to the explicit targeting of ‘an international audience… students and practitioners who are new to SEA or who wish to refresh their knowledge on the subject’ (p.141). In this sense the book will certainly provide such introductory outline, and a mixture of key principles – which become the basis of the ‘systematic approach’ – and examples through case studies, as well as a brief overview of the legal systems in a range of countries. Practitioners and scholars who are familiar with the basics of SEA may find this contribution less useful, and very few readers will find the theoretical treatment of this subject sufficient. References Dalal-Clayton B, Sadler B. Strategic Environmental Assessment: A sourcebook and reference guide to international experience. London, Earthscan; 2005. Fischer TB. Strategic Environmental Assessment in Transport and Land-use Planning. London, Earthscan; 2002. Gibson RB, Hassan S, Holtz S, Tansey J, Whitelaw G, editors. Sustainability Assessment: criteria and processes. London, Earthscan; 2005. Jones C, Baker M, Carter J, Jay S, Short M, Wood C, editors. Strategic Environmental Assessment and Land Use Planning. London, Earthscan; 2005. Schmidt M, João E, Albrecht E, editors. Implementing Strategic Environmental Assessment. Berlin-Heidelberg, Springler; 2005.
Olivia Bina Research Fellow, Centre of Philosophy, University of Lisbon, Portugal E-mail address: [email protected].