Since the 1980s, and especially since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, there has been a substantial extension in the adoption and use of Environmental Assessment (EA) procedures in developing countries and countries in transition (low and middle income countries). However, few existing texts in environmental assessment or development studies have reflected this trend sufficiently, until this publication. Divided into two main parts: * EA Principles, Processes and Practice. * Country and Institutional Studies of EA Procedures and Practice. This book explains the essentials of environmental impact association in the context of developing countries and assesses its importance to both developed and developing countries.

The main objective of this volume is to provide information and guidance on EIA and SEA good practice with particular application to developing countries and countries in transition to market economies. It is intended to support local practitioners in the design and implementation of appropriate country specific EIA and SEA arrangements and in addressing emerging demands for a more integrated approach to decision-making in support of sustainable development.

This unique sourcebook provides a global, state-of-the-art review of the rapidly evolving field of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) that is intended to serve as a baseline for the work of an OECD Task Team on SEA and a UNEP initiative on integrated planning and assessment. It describes trends in application and experience in different contexts worldwide, providing in-depth coverage of the status of SEA systems, and practice in developed, transitional and developing countries by a range of development agencies. The book draws on a large body of published and unpublished material, and contributions from a wide range of individual experts, organizations and agencies. It provides an unparalleled and invaluable understanding of the emerging scope and potential of SEA and describes how, when and where it is being used. The sourcebook includes a probing review of concepts, terminology, approaches and tools of SEA, and a comparative analysis of the different types of existing SEA systems. The volume also contains many case examples illustrating SEA practice in different countries and contexts, a full set of references and a number of appendices containing source materials.

International contributors from fields related to the environment and development advance the understanding of integrated appraisal and decision making for sustainable development in low- and middle-income countries, and in transitional economies like those in Central and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. A range of perspectives and methods are presented, and case studies employing integrated appraisals are provided. Specific topics include environmental cost-benefit analysis, and integrating environmental, economic and social appraisals. Case studies focus on Peru, the Caribbean, the Philippines, Guyana, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Evaluating Environmental and Social Impact Assessment in Developing Countries, Second Edition, outlines an evaluation framework that supports environmental professionals, researchers and academics in evaluating the effectiveness of impact assessment within limited budgets, promotes standardization across the field, and helps determine if Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is achieving its intended goal of sustainable development. Using Bangladesh as a case study, the book discusses key processes, highlights the need for an integrated, holistic approach, outlines the current institutional framework, and discusses environmental impact, social impact, community participation, and the implementation of mitigation measures. This new edition provides a fully updated picture of both recent changes and ongoing development in process, such as the growth in social wellbeing, community participation and enhanced auditing. Finally, the challenges still facing EIA and SIA evaluation are addressed as robustly as possible. Outlines the latest updates on how EIA and SIA outcome assessment systems are being incorporated Highlights the surge in growth of community participation in EIA and gives valuable insights into the methods and techniques being used to successfully harness this phenomenon Provides updated case studies that demonstrate how the evaluation framework has been applied, revealing the challenges, changes, failures and successes that have taken place on these projects since the first edition

"This study will be of interest to EA practitioners in public administration; development and consultant organizations; training and educational and research institutes; and international and bilateral aid agencies. Project level EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) and, to a lesser extent, SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) for planning and other strategic level actions have been, or are being, introduced in the great majority of countries in transition (CIT). As yet, however, most of the countries have only limited experience in formulating "state of the art" EIA regulations and applying them satisfactorily. Furthermore, such experiences in CITs that do exist are not yet sufficiently well documented and widely disseminated. This report should be of considerable value in helping strengthen EA regulation and practice in the region."--BOOK JACKET.

This publication presents the nine most interesting case studies of Strategic Environmental Assessment in progress.