Publications

All NCEA publications can be found via the general search option (author = NCEA)

A Strategic Approach to Hydropower Development

Applying Hydropower by Design within the context of Strategic Environmental Assessment to achieve hydropower goals in a sustainable and equitable manner
Advocacy Paper by the NCEA & The Nature Conservation
A tailor made SEA approach is to support government authorities with strategic planning of the hydropower sector. In general, the SEA supports river basin plans or national energy plans. This specific SEA approach makes use of SEA good practice principles and a method developed by TNC known as hydropower by design which develops and compares a number of different hydropower options in a river basin.

Environmental Assessment for Climate-Smart Decision Making: Good practice cases

The NCEA gathered case examples where impact assessment has contributed to climate -smart development. This means that E(S)IA or SEA has influenced a project or plan to such an extent, that it is contributing to climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation and adaptive management or capacity.

Members of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) were asked for good practice cases. This resulted in the selection of the 12 cases assembled in a publication titled: Environmental Assessment for Climate-Smart Decision Making: Good practice cases.

The twelve cases can also be downloaded separately:

Case 1: SEA for a land use plan in Denmark
Case 2: ESIA for an infrastructure project in Belize
Case 3: SEA for a hydropower plan in Vietnam
Case 4: ESIA for port development in South Africa
Case 5: SEA for a water plan in the Netherlands
Case 6: EIA for a waste incinerator in Denmark
Case 7: SEA for an energy land use plan in Germany
Case 8: SEA for touristic and urban planning in Mexico
Case 9: SEA for land use planning in Kenya
Case 10: ESIA for a housing project in England
Case 11: ESIA for infrastructure design in the Philippines
Case 12: SEA and ESIA for a spatial plan in the Netherlands

EIA accreditation: what and how?

This publication provides a number of examples of accreditation mechanisms for EIA, and sets out a range of considerations that will aid a discussion on introducing or improving an accreditation system. Also, this document presents some guidance on the design and management of an accreditation system. It offers references to more detailed resources on this topic. This publication is part of the NCEA's building block series.

SEA effectiveness in China and the Netherlands

In the past three years there has been an ongoing exchange on SEA between China and the Netherlands. One of the products of this cooperation was presented in Beijing on the 4th of December 2014: a joint publication on SEA effectiveness in both countries. The book documents the Chinese experience with SEA for mega-region planning, and lessons learnt from 25 years of SEA research and practice in the Netherlands.

Financing EIA

The NCEA issued a publication titled ‘Financing EIA: Funding Governmental Tasks in Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and Environmental Approval’.

Attention for financial arrangements to fund governmental tasks in Environmental (and Social) Impact Assessment (EIA/ESIA) in developing countries is often limited. Yet such arrangements are essential for ensuring a viable and effective EIA system. The NCEA has therefore assembled ‘lessons learnt’ from its experiences around the world, which are combined in this publication. It contains numerous country cases to serve as inspiration to readers.

A systems approach to ESIA / SEA effectiveness

This publication introduces the reader to an ambitious endeavour the NCEA has embarked on since 2012: the translation of its practice experience into a so-called systems approach. This approach is intended to be used both for analysing existing EIA and SEA systems in the countries with whom the NCEA cooperates, as well as for measuring the results of the contribution that the NCEA makes to improving these systems.

The system approach has been developed for both ESIA and SEA, and both the approach and its indicators are largely the same. However, ESIA and SEA are quite different instruments in terms of their character and the actors that play a role in their implementation. Therefore, the systems approach can be used by different target groups and in different ways for each of the instruments. For this reason, separate publications have been made.

EIA in Central Africa

In 2013, after 6 years of fruitful collaboration between Central African associations for EIA professionals, its regional umbrella SEEAC and the NCEA come to an end. To celebrate this mile stone, a jointly-developed book was published entitled ‘Evolution of systems of Environmental Impact Assessment in Central Africa – the role of national associations of professionals’. This publication is available in French and English. Hard copies can be ordered via SEEAC by sending an email to seeac seeaconline.org.

Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment. Why, who and how?

June 2013. The aim of this article (EIAR vol. 43) is to provide a comprehensive overview of the academic debate on public participation in EIA concerning its meaning, objectives and adequate level of inclusiveness. Even a cursory glance at the literature on environmental impact assessment (EIA) reveals that public participation is considered an integral part of the assessment procedure. Public participation in EIA is commonly deemed to foster democratic policy making and to render EIA more effectively. Yet, a closer look at the literature unveils that, beyond this general assertion, opinions of the precise meaning, objectives and adequate representation of public participation in EIA considerably diverge. Co-authors are Arend Kolfhoff, technical secretary and Anne Glucker, intern at the NCEA.

Strategic Environmental Assessment in Development Practice. A review of recent practice

Ms Bobbi Schijf en Ms Gwen van Boven have contributed to two cases (case studies) in Montenegro and Benin in a new OECD DAC SEA publication.
Many countries are already making good progress in applying SEA. This publication presents nine interesting case studies of SEA in progress, carried out by countries in cooperation with development organisations. The cases highlight that SEA can:

safeguard environmental assets for sustainable poverty reduction and development;
build public engagement in decision making;
prevent costly mistakes by alerting decision makers to potentially unsustainable development options at an early stage in the decision-making process;
speed up implementation of projects and programmes;
facilitate cooperation around shared environmental resources and contribute to conflict prevention.

Manual on Landfill Site Assessment and Selection in Georgia

In Georgia, a number of existing landfills will, when assessed according to international standards, have to be closed in the coming years. Subsequently, new locations have to be selected. Other landfills could be optimised at their current location, by taking appropriate measures. This manual describes the steps to be taken in these processes.

From Public Debate to Public Dialogue: A Guideline on Public Consultation in SEA and EIA Procedures in Romania

This Guideline covers a great number of do’s and don'ts regarding public consultation in EIA and SEA procedures, both in theory and in practice. It is targeted at a wide audience of Romanian stakeholders, i.e. national, regional and local authorities and organisations concerned with effective consultation of the general public. Participation of the general public (for example by means of public debate), is a key element in EIA and SEA procedures. The information included in this publication offers plenty of tools for organising such public debates, in order to raise the chances of establishing a constructive dialogue between the government and the broader public.

Strategic Environmental Assessment in Policy and Sector Reform

This report presents the results, findings and recommendations of the evaluation of the World Bank's SEA Pilot Program that was undertaken between October 2008 and June 2010. The lessons drawn from the pilots suggest that SEA can, under conducive conditions, contribute to improved formulation and implementation of sector reform.

Climate Change in Water Management

This report summarises an inventory of methods and tools for assessing climate change impacts, vulnerability assessment and adaptation options focusing on the water sector. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is one of the tools addressed. The tool kit can also be used for SEA practitioners to integrate climate change in SEA for policies, plans and programmes in the water sector.

New article: Effectiveness EIA Systems in Developing Countries

The aim of this article by Arend Kolhoff (et al.) is to identify factors influencing EIA system performance in developing countries. To this end, a conceptual model was developed to provide insight into those factors, building on a review of the current approaches and insights.
This article can be obtained at IngentaConnect.

New: Biodiversity in Environmental Assessment

Biodiversity in Environmental Assessment: Enhancing Ecosystem Services for Human Well-Being.
This book, with contributions from NCEA's Arend Kolhoff, Bobbi Schijf and Rob Verheem, integrates the objectives of the CBD convention into a comprehensive approach to biodiversity in EA. Powerful examples show that biodiversity must be considered to ensure that projects, programmes and policies are environmentally and socially acceptable. The publication can be purchased via the (online) bookshop. ISBN:978-0-521-71655-0.

Integrated Water Resources Management and SEA

Integrated Water Resources Management and SEA: joining forces for climate proofing
23-07-2009. This paper served as an input for the thematic, regional and political processes of the 5th World Water Forum and focuses on the challenges related to water, climate change and food security. It highlights key drivers and presents possible responses, emphasising that the scope of policy response will need to be broad if water institutions are to be effective in coping with climate change. Author is Roel Slootweg and the publication was initiated by the Cooperative Programme on Water and Climate (CPWC) and the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) Also available in French and Spanish. The publication can be downloaded as pdf.

Strategic Environmental Assessment and Biofuels: Establishing Linkages

This publication deals with the following issues:

• What are biofuels
• What are the costs and benefits of biofuels
• Biofuel sustainability criteria
• Why SEA for biofuel policies, plans or programmes (PPP)
• Principles of SEA applied to biofuel PPP

Publication date: May 2008

Views and Experiences from the NCEA 2009

New: Views and Experiences from the NCEA 2009
13-05-2009. This publication, no. 10 in the NCEA series, contains 9 articles with our experiences and views on environmental assessment in the Netherlands and in the context of internationalcooperation. To name a few: the modernisation of dutch EA law and its consequences, the effect of climate changes and its role within EA, strategic environmental assessment with regard to international trade negotiations...
The publication can be downloaded as pdf or a free copy can be requested by sending an email to ncea eia.nl.

Valuation of Ecosystem Services and SEA

Roel Slootweg and Pieter van Beukering have analysed cases in which the valuation of ecosystem services has significantly influenced strategic decision making. The linkages with Strategic Environmental Assessment are highlighted. This report, Valuation of Ecosystem Services and SEA: Lessons from Influential Cases, can be downloaded in pdf format. A background document contains ten main case studies plus a summary of ten additional cases. This report Valuation of Ecosystem Services and SEA: Influential Case Studies, , can also be downloaded.

Also available in French and Spanish.

For querries on the contents of the documents please contact Arend Kolhoff: akolhoff eia.nl or +31-30-2347604