Theory and Practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is a fast growing and rapidly evolving professional field driven by both advances in theory and method and by regulatory requirements in Europe, North America, Australasia, South Africa and increasingly across Asia. However, to date, analysis of existing practice and associated reporting has remained far from systematic and there has been a clear need for a comprehensive textbook to facilitate teaching, learning and practice in this burgeoning field. This textbook, the first of its kind, provides for a state-of-the-art review of SEA theory and practice and promotes a more systematic approach to SEA. It is written for a wide student, professional and academic audience and aims particularly at supporting the development of SEA modules in undergraduate and postgraduate planning, environmental assessment, engineering and law courses. It provides an overview of the fundamental principles and rules of SEA, reports systematically on international SEA practice and theory and pushes the envelope by developing the theory. Supporting material includes boxed examples and case studies from around the world, extra reading suggestions and a glossary of terms. This is the essential book for all students, professionals and academics in strategic environmental assessment and environmental impact assessment and follow-up world-wide.

Thomas B. Fischer is a Reader in the Department of Civic Design at Liverpool University, UK, a Visiting Professor in the Research Centre for Strategic Environmental Assessment at Nankai University, Tianjin, China, chair of the SEA section of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA)