SEA profile

Updated to: 22 August 2019

Overview SEA procedure

The procedure is the same as the ESIA procedure and consists of the following steps:

• Screening (not mandatory)
• Preparation of ToR to be approved by the MINEPDED after the advice of the relevant sectoral administration. 
• Preparation of the SESA report with  public consultations.
• Review of the SESA and public hearing
• Decision of the Minister in charge of the environment on the quality SESA report. 

Establishing context

Identification of stakeholders

In the final SESA report, it is expected that the principal stakeholders are identified and their concerns are included.  

Implementing SEA

Participation in scoping

During the SESA study, stakeholder input must be collected through consultation meetings and public hearings. It is not made explicit that consultations should take place at the scoping phase. 

Content of SEA report

The SESA report should contain as follows:

• The summary in plain English and French language.
• The description of the PPP and its alternatives.
• The description of the institutional and legal framework in relation to the PPP
• The description and analysis of the receiving environment of the PPP
• Identification of the key stakeholders and their concerns.
• The evaluation of the potential environmental impacts.
• The prescription and recommendations and relevant measures of environmental management in an environmental management plan (EMP).

Review process

The environmental management law provides that any impact assessment gives rise to a reasoned decision by the administration in charge of the environment, after advice from the Inter-ministerial Committee for the Environment (CIE).

In Decree 2013/071, the procedure to review SESA is mixed up with the procedure to review ESIA. 

Participation in review

Public hearings are required for to enable stakeholders to react on the conclusions of such studies. After the administration responsible for the environment announces its conclusion on a study, a large public consultation is organised and an ad hoc commission established to report upon the outcomes. This report is submitted to the Minister in charge of the environment and the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Environment (CIE) for their consideration in review.  

Informing decision making

SEA and planning decision-making

When a PPP is subject to SESA, it is required to obtain a certificate of environmental conformity from the Minister in charge of the environment. 

Follow-up

SEA practice

Annual no. of SEAs

No statistics on the annual number of SEA is available for the moment, as the provisions for SEA are very recent (in 2013).

Central SEA database

Within the framework of joint project between MINEPDED and ACAMEE, an environmental assessment information management system (SIGEES) was developed and is being tested in 2013. It provided space for information on SESA.

Professional bodies

Cameroon Association for Environmental Assessment (ACAMEE)

Background information

History of SEA

With a long history of ESIA implementation, in 2013 Decree No 2013/0171/PM also introduces Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA).  Provisions for ESIA generally also apply for SESA.

Legal framework

Enabling law

The environmental management law 96/12  implicitly prescribes SESA through its article 14, which states that environmental considerations need to be integrated into all economic plans and programmes. Article 40 specifies the same requirement for urban planning and public and private land subdivision.

National detailed regulation

Decree No 2013/0171/PM. 

Other relevant decree's

• Decree 2001/718/PM of September 2001, modified by Decree 2006/1577/PM in September 2006, outlining the organisation and functioning of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Environment (CIE). 
• Decree 00004 of MINEP of July 2007 defining the conditions  to approve environmental consultants to carry out environmental studies and audits.
• Decree 00001 of MINEPDED of February 2016 establishing the category of activities that should be subject to ESIA or SESA. 

Scope of application

SESA applies to policies, plans and programmes or projects (PPPP's ) with multiple components. Decree 00001 of MINEPDED of February 2016 further specifies the activities that are subject to SESA.

Exemptions from application

Strictly speaking, there are no provisions for exemptions from SESA application. However, PPPP's with multiple components which are related to national security and defense, are free of  public consultation and public hearing procedures.

SEA approach

An ESIA-based approach is chosen for SESA. The processes followed for SEA generally overlap with the ones for ESIA.

SEA tiering with ESIA

The relationship between the SESA and the ESIA is not explicit. Article 4 of the decree (2013) states that the proponent of a PPPP with multiple components can do an SESA. However, for the implementation of each project or each component, the developer still needs to carry out an ESIA.

Institutional setting

Central SEA authority

The Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED) is the central SESA authority.

(De)centralisation of SEA mandates

There is no decentralisation of SESA mandate.

Initiator of the SEA

The initiator of the SEA is the promoter of the PPPP. 

Contact

ACAMEE: Cameroon Association for the Environmental Assessment 
Post Box: 30465 Yaoundé-Cameroun
Telephone: (237) 22 20 39 89 / 96 47 05 00 / 74 16 31 05
Email: acamee@yahoo.fr 
Website: acameeonline.org