Effectiveness of strategic environmental assessment in Portuguese-speaking countries

Abstract

Environmental impacts are one of the main issues to be addressed in past decades, and sustainability has become the main focus of authorities when defining alternatives to development processes. One of the main instrument which deals with the prevention of impacts caused by human activities, project-EIA and its derived instruments, has showed to be limited to walk side by side with the evolution of the economic systems, and consequently to set the pace of environmental changes. Therefore there is an increasing investment in Strategic Environmental Assessment to fill the blanks in terms of strategic decisions (that comes from a Policy, a Plan or a Program) and their relations, especially in developing countries - in which the main demand is given by international funding agencies like the World Bank and so on. To be implemented, SEA requires attention to establish the adequate limits, concepts and procedures, in order to set the framework that will support the instrument in accordance to the politic and institutional context. The present project aims the application of effectiveness criteria to SEA in Brazil and Portugal, considering the practice of this instrument, their weaknesses and strengths. Also, the project is focused on the framework of SEA in Angola, Cabo Verde and Mozambique. (AU)