NCEA newsletter - December 2018

The NCEA wishes you happy holidays and all the best for 2019

We look back on a very inspiring year. A year where we turned '25!'. And we look forward to 2019 and beyond. To work together with familiar friends and new partners, all with a common goal: a more social and environmentally healthy world!

Scoping advice SEA development plan in the Sourou - Mali

Mali, 3 December 2018 - The NCEA published a scoping advice for the SEA on an integrated planning process in the Sourou region. The Sourou region faces many challenges in the field of water resources, food diversity and biodiversity. In a unique process, local governmental entities have taken the initiative to develop an integrated development plan, supported by an SEA. The advice is in French.

More information...

Review ESIA gas/liquid project: more attention for cumulative effects - Senegal

Senegal, 6 December 2018 -  The NCEA recently reviewed the ESIA for the gas-to-liquid project close to the Senegalese / Mauretanian border. One of our recommendations is to provide a better analysis of the cumulative impacts and consequences for the fisheries. The insights of this review will also be used to develop a strategic environmental assessment for the sustainable development plan in regard to the offshore oil & gas sector. The advice is in French.

More information...

Results COP’18 on Biodiversity:  SEA for mainstreaming

Sharm El-Sheikh, 29 November 2018 - One of the results of  the recent Conference of Parties on Biodiversity in Egypt is the adoption of SEA as one of the mainstreaming tools, especially in the energy and mining, infrastructure, manufacturing and processing sectors. We are very happy with this explicit attention for the added value of impact assessment. 

More information...

Harmonisation of ESIA legislation in Central Africa

Brussels, 27 November 2018 - COMIFAC and the NCEA are happy to announce they have signed an MoU for collaboration in the next three years. COMIFAC is an intergovernmental organisation in Central Africa that focuses on sustainable management of forests in the Congo Basin. Through this MoU, we will work towards harmonisation of ESIA legislation and the establishment of independent institutions for ESIA review.

Workshop SEA for water related infrastructure - Pantanal-Chaco landscape

Brasilia, 3-7 December 2018 - Which issues are typically encountered in strategic environmental assessments for water related infrastructure decisions? This was one of the questions discussed in two workshops for government officials and CSOs with a focus on the SEA in the Pantanal-Chaco landscape. The workshops are part of the Shared Resources Joint Solutions Programme, carried out in cooperation with WWF-Brazil and IBAMA. 

More information...

Workshop ESIA for tourism projects - Tanzania

Dar es Salaam, 26-28 November 2018 - With a growing tourism industry, sustainable tourism (project) development is a must. Therefore, the NEMC (Environmental Council) requested the NCEA to organise a two-day workshop on ESIA for tourism projects. The same workshop was previously held for staff of ZEMA (Zanzibar  environmental authority). Since NEMC and ZEMA are dealing with similar issues, exchange of ideas and experiences is very beneficial for them both. 

Dutch support for Ethiopia, role of the NCEA

Addis Ababa, 3-5 December 2018 - In the coming years, the Netherlands will implement an integrated programme in Ethiopia, in which food security, water resources management and environmental and social sustainable development will go hand in hand. To this end, the Dutch MFA, the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) and the NCEA jointly carried out a reconnaissance mission in Addis Ababa and Ziway. 

More information...

SEA for transboundary water issues in the middle east?

Dublin, 27-29 November - How to deal with transboundary water governance? The Middle East Desalination Research Center (MEDRC) organised a technical expert workshop on this topic, attended by delegations from Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian authorities. The NCEA was invited to present their international experiences with SEA for development plans dealing with transboundary water issues.  

More information...