Environmental Assessment Tools

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Environmental Assessment Tools
July 6, 2005
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Environmental Assessment Tools for ODA-Funded
Projects

• Programmatic EA
• - Sectoral
• - Regional
• - Strategic EA
• EA for Social Fund Projects and Community-Driven
  Development Projects
• - environmental screening
• - environmental guidelines

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II. What is a Sectoral EA?

• Upstream sector-wide environmental analysis
  before investment priorities are determined
• Commonly applied in sector investment programs
  with multiple subprojects
• Individual subprojects may no longer prepare
  specific EAs
• Examples Transport, Agriculture, Irrigation

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III. Advantages of Sectoral EA?

• Prevents serious environmental impacts through
  upstream analysis of sector policies investment
  strategies
• Suitable for analysis of institutional, legal and
  regulatory aspects of the sector for making
  realistic recommendations - e.g., environmental
  standards, guidelines, training
• Provides opportunities for consideration of
  alternative policies, plans, strategies or
  project types
• Helps to alter or eliminate environmentally
  unsound investments

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III. Advantages of Sectoral EA?

• Well-suited to consider cumulative impacts of
  multiple sector investments
• Allows for comprehensive sector planning
• Strengthens preparation implementation of
  subprojects by recommending criteria guidelines
  for review implementation
• Note SEA is not an excuse for overlooking site-
  or project-specific environmental issues. It
  should help determine whether project-specific EA
  is needed.

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IV. What is a Regional EA?

• A tool to help development planners design
  investment strategies, programs projects that
  are environmentally sustainable for a region
• Similar to Sectoral EA, i.e., done upstream to
  influence decisions
• Differs from other forms of EA because it
  assesses environmental issues impacts in a
  distinctly spatial setting (ecological,
  socio-econ, admin or other boundaries)
• Not a substitute for project-specific EA of
  individual investment, but can limit its need and
  scope

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V. Advantages of Regional EA?

• Same advantages as SEA, but in a Regional context
• Provides a baseline overview of environmental
  conditions, a key to making reliable impact
  assessments monitoring change over time
• Provides a vehicle for public participation in
  shaping the future development of a Region

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VI. What are Social Fund Projects and
Community-Driven Development Projects?

• Social Funds financial intermediaries that
  channel resources to poor and vulnerable
  beneficiaries for small-scale projects
• Community-driven development projects
  Small-scale projects implemented on a
  demand-driven basis by LGUs, NGOs, Pos
• SF and CDD involve thousands of subprojects
  access roads, water systems, irrigation, school
  buildings, health clinics
• Long Term success is associated with
  sustainability and minimizing environmental
  impacts

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VII. EA of Social Fund Projects and
Community-Driven Development Projects

• Use of environmental screening mechanism
• Use of environmental guidelines for future
  subprojects

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VIII. EA Tools for Private Sector-Funded Projects

• Use of programmatic approach if multi-component,
  multi-sector or with several subprojects
• Use of project-specific EIA if single component

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IX. Advantages of SEA, REA and other EA Approaches

• Comprehensive EA that assesses both
  project-specific, program, sectoral, regional and
  cumulative impacts
• EA as a planning tool rather than regulatory
• Reduces transaction cost and fast-tracks review
  approval process of subprojects covered by a
  programmatic EA

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VIII. Advantages of SEA, REA and other EA
Approaches

• Streamlined review approval process
• Unloads DENR from number of EAs to be reviewed
  and issued with ECC
• Strengthened compliance monitoring at the
  Regional, Provincial Local levels

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Thank you!