ABSTRACT
Over the past decade, there has been rapid development of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) processes and practice and a corresponding explosion of literature covering this field. Recognizing this, our aim has been to undertake a broad-based empirical review of SEA practice, taking stock of trends and issues in developing and transitional countries and amongst international lending and aid agencies. From that perspective, we have extended our consideration of the scope of SEA processes and elements beyond formal systems – whether instituted separately, under environmental impact assessment (EIA) systems, or based on approximate processes of policy and plan appraisal – and we have termed these systems ‘para-SEA’. As a reminder, this term includes those processes and elements that have some, but not all, of the characteristics of formal SEA procedure.
